Bitcoin couldn't hold above $82,000 — and it's paying for it. The asset was rejected at that level multiple times, including after the US Senate Banking Committee passed the CLARITY Act, and tumbled to a three-week low of $76,000 on Monday. It's since bounced slightly, but the damage is done: Bitcoin's market cap sits below $1.540 trillion and its dominance over altcoins has slipped to 58.2% on CoinGecko.
Failed breakout, then a slide
The trouble started Friday. Bitcoin dipped below $80,000, then kept falling through the weekend. Saturday saw it at $77,500; Sunday it stabilized around $78,000. Monday morning brought the worst of it — a drop to $76,000. The rebound since is modest.
This wasn't a single rejection. Bitcoin failed at $82,800 once, then at $82,000 three separate times. The last attempt came right after the CLARITY Act cleared committee. Whatever momentum that news generated, it didn't last.
Altcoins: a few winners, mostly flat
While the majors — Ethereum, Solana, BNB, TRX, XRP, Dogecoin, Cardano — barely moved, some smaller names picked up. HYPE climbed to within $12 of its 2025 all-time high. ZEC surged 7% to $560, and BCH rose 4.5%. NEAR added 7% to $1.60, while ONDO jumped 12% to nearly $0.38.
Not everyone caught a bid. Pi Network's PI token hit a three-month low of around $0.145 yesterday before recovering above $0.15. It's still down 14% over the past two weeks.
Market cap and dominance
The total crypto market cap sits at about $2.630 trillion on CoinGecko, reflecting the overall pause. Bitcoin's retreat below $80,000 has also trimmed its dominance — a sign that capital isn't fleeing into BTC as a safe haven right now.
Pi Network's recovery above $0.15 is fragile. The token's slide over two weeks suggests selling pressure hasn't fully exhausted. For now, the market waits to see if Bitcoin can reclaim $80,000 — or if $76,000 becomes the new ceiling.
