The Asian trading session demurred off on a sluggish note on Tuesday, with both digital means and indigenous stock requests coming under pressure.
The bitcoin price was among the biggest carriers, slipping below $90,000 for the first time in around six months as investors cut exposure and braced for long-delayed profitable data from the United States.
The fall in cryptocurrency prices followed a rough launch to the week on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both broke below important specialized levels.
With query structure ahead of Nvidia’s earnings and the overdue nonfarm payrolls report, dealers have grown increasingly conservative, leading to a reduction in unsafe bets.
US Data Delay Keeps Markets Guessing
The market mood has been shaped largely by the unusual blackout caused by the prolonged US government shutdown.
For weeks, investors have been left without crucial, profitable numbers that typically guide prospects for growth, inflation, and interest rates. While the arrestment has now ended, the data backlog is only just starting to clear, leaving global requests in limbo.
Attention is now squarely on Thursday’s September jobs report, which many investors see as a crucial indicator of how resilient the US economy really is.
The uncertainty has caused expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in December to drop from above 60% earlier this month to closer to 40% now.
That shift has encouraged traders to rotate away from high-beta assets, including AI-linked stocks and crypto, and towards safer holdings.
Market Snapshot
- Bitcoin: $90,190, down 5.1%
- Ether: $2,994, down 5.5%
- XRP: $2.15, down 4.5%
- Total crypto market cap: $3.17 trillion, down 4.4%
These declines highlight a broad risk-off mood across the crypto market, where volatility has climbed and leverage is being unwound.
Asia Follows Wall Street Lower
Equity markets in Asia picked up Wall Street’s nervous tone. MSCI’s Asia Pacific index outside Japan slipped 0.7%, while Japan’s Nikkei dropped more than 2% in early trading.
Much of the selling reflects general caution ahead of the US data and Nvidia’s closely watched earnings release, a key moment for the AI-driven stock rally that has lifted markets for much of the year.
Bitcoin Price Drop Reflects a Wider Crypto Reset
The recent bitcoin correction has hit newer crypto investors hardest, although seasoned traders appear unfazed. Bitcoin’s dip below $90K has been linked more to a reset in positioning than to any long-term shift in the cryptocurrency’s outlook.
JUST IN: $BTC falls below $90,000.
View chart: https://t.co/LrE9BNTol6 pic.twitter.com/SF8pzaYpTR
— CoinGecko (@coingecko) November 18, 2025
Gadi Chait, investment manager at Xapo Bank, says the moves are part of a familiar pattern in the digital asset market.
“While some will search for specific triggers, whether residual effects from October’s deleveraging or broader macro shifts, the precise cause is largely secondary,” he said.
“Periodic drawdowns are a familiar feature of this market. Those who have been in the space for years recognise this pattern: we’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again.”
Analysts at Bitfinex shared a similar view, pointing out the scale of the recent pullback: “Statistically, given that this is the third largest pullback since 2023 and the second largest since Bitcoin ETFs launched across major US providers, it feels like it is time for a local bottom to be established relatively soon.”
Their comments reflect a broader belief that while crypto sentiment has weakened, the long-term adoption story for digital assets remains intact.
Shutdown Ends, but Visibility Still Lacking
Although the US government has now reopened, the information gap created by the shutdown has made markets more sensitive.
Investors have had to rely on private surveys and scattered indicators, many of which point to slower activity.
Even so, Federal Reserve officials have continued to push back on expectations of rapid easing, adding another layer of uncertainty to the global outlook.
With Nvidia’s results due on Wednesday and the overdue US jobs report just a day later, investors expect a turbulent week.
For now, traders appear content to keep cash close and reduce exposure until they have a clearer picture of where the bitcoin market, global growth, and interest rates are heading next.
