Bitcoin Holds $66K While Ethereum and XRP Slip Ahead of Key Inflation Data - Crypto Economy

TL;DR

• Bitcoin hovered near $66,000 ahead of inflation data, as $251.62 million in liquidations kept leverage desks cautious and BTC still around $66,890.99.
• Ali Martinez framed a tight $64,000 to $67,000 channel, while Jelle warned a stop-driven breakout could rhyme with 2022-style weakness for traders.
• ETF outflows hit $410.4 million for Bitcoin and $113.1 million for Ethereum, as ETH defended $1,600 to $2,000, Solana risked $50, and SHIB burns spiked 173,579.5%.

Bitcoin held the $66,000 handle ahead of key inflation data, while Ethereum and XRP softened in tandem. The market is treating this bounce as a risk check, not a trend change. Bitcoin is trading near $66,900, down 1.24% over 24 hours, with ETH around $1,950 and XRP near $1.36. Liquidations totaled $251.62 million in a day, keeping leverage desks conservative and pushing tighter intraday risk limits across venues. XRP was up 0.08%, but sentiment stayed fragile.

Charts and flows tighten into the macro catalyst

Trader commentary framed the setup as a compressed range trade. Range compression is forcing execution discipline while the market waits for a catalyst. Analyst Ali Martinez said Bitcoin is consolidating inside a defined channel, holding $64,000 as support and facing resistance near $67,000. With price action boxed in, desks see stop clusters building at both edges, which can amplify volatility once breached. Trader Jelle compared the structure to 2022, warning weakness can rhyme again for traders.


Flows added to the defensive read-through. ETF redemptions are reinforcing a risk-off tone on top of derivatives deleveraging. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $410.4 million in net outflows on Thursday, while spot Ethereum ETFs posted $113.1 million in net outflows. Even so, the meme coin sector rose about 3% for a second straight session, diverging from broader softness. Traders read the split as rotation into higher beta, not capitulation, while liquidity remains selective overall right now.

Ethereum became the immediate stability barometer as it slipped 1.89% on the day. Defending the $1,600 to $2,000 band is being framed as the prerequisite for broader stabilization. Analyst Cyril-DeFi said ETH is trading near $1,949, inside a support zone that has acted as a base multiple times since 2024. Yet the structure remains bearish, marked by lower highs since the prior peak near $4,800. A break below $1,600 could expose $1,200 to $1,400 in practice.

For momentum to shift, the same analysis said Ethereum would need to decisively reclaim $2,500. Altcoin risk is being managed as a stack of thresholds rather than one macro bet. Altcoin Sherpa warned Solana, around $80.00 and down 2.45%, sits at critical support, and a breakdown could open the door to $50 if bulls fail to defend the zone. Separately, Shibburn data showed Shiba Inu’s burn rate surged 173,579.5% in a single day, fueling fresh speculation.