why are Bitcoin and Ethereum dumping? 😭

short answer: macro chaos + leverage unwind.

as of feb 23, 2026:
btc ~$66.3k (-2.3%) and eth ~$1.9k (-2.2%) today.

the big catalyst is renewed 15% global tariff drama from trump over the weekend, which flipped markets into risk-off mode. equities down, dollar wobbly, gold up. crypto trades like high-beta tech rn.

under the hood:
– billions in ETF outflows
– $2–4b in liquidations recently
– open interest dropping = leverage getting flushed
– some whale/exchange transfers spooking traders
– reports of vitalik selling a chunk of eth added fuel

this feels more like deleveraging + macro fear than a protocol issue. when liquidity tightens, crypto sneezes first.

zoom out or panic zoom in. your move.