Bitcoin 81K Collapse & $2.1B Liquidation: Iran Risk & Regulation Fear

Early February 2026 marked a 'black weekend' for crypto markets.
Bitcoin (BTC) surrendered the psychological $85K support level, briefly dropping to $81K territory—its lowest in nine months .
Ethereum (ETH) and major altcoins crashed over 10%, pushing market sentiment into 'extreme fear' territory.

After hitting $81K intraday on Jan 31, BTC now consolidates between $86K-$91K seeking technical rebound .
However upside momentum remains limited, with 24-hour volume spike representing selling climax levels.
Major support breakdown confirms bearish trend dominance.

The sell-off had two primary drivers.
First, U.S.-Iran military tensions escalated, with Middle East risk hitting all assets as U.S.
Navy warship deployment news triggered risk-off panic .
Second, uncertainty around President Trump's newly signed Executive Order poured cold water on market sentiment.

U.S.
SEC and CFTC agreed to strengthen regulatory cooperation through 'Project Crypto' .
While positive long-term, short-term reaction reflects concerns over potential enforcement tightening.

Past 24 hours saw ~$2.15B (₩2.9T) positions forcibly liquidated in futures markets .
Long positions comprised 96% of wipeouts, with leverage bulls expecting upside getting systematically cleared out .
This created 'air pocket' phenomenon amplifying the downside move.