Bitcoin Tumbles To Two-Week Low After Massive Crypto Liquidations

Bitcoin fell to a two-week low on May 18, 2026 after a brief recovery in recent sessions. The cryptocurrency moved lower in early trade amid continued volatility across digital assets.

Bitcoin Slips To Two-Week Low

The cryptocurrency is currently trading at $76,800 after slipping to a two-week low of $76,570 earlier in the session. This comes after Bitcoin had previously traded above $80,000 in recent sessions.

On a broader basis, Bitcoin is down more than 1.50 per cent in the last 24 hours and nearly 4.75 per cent over the week, reflecting sustained pressure on digital assets. Ethereum also saw sharp losses, falling 3.09 per cent in the past 24 hours and 9.19 per cent over the week, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Overall, the global crypto market capitalisation has declined to around $2.56 trillion, indicating weakness across major cryptocurrencies.

Paras Malhotra, senior vice president – trade, custody and BizOps at CoinDCX, said the current correction in Bitcoin appears to be driven largely by short-term market sentiment and aggressive liquidations.

According to CoinGlass data, over 112,098 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with the total crypto market liquidations amounting to $675.82 million. Ethereum accounted for the largest share of liquidations at $256.74 million, followed by Bitcoin at $187.51 million that showed heightened volatility across major cryptocurrencies.

Here’s a look at what other factors are driving the recent decline in the crypto market.

What’s Driving The Ongoing Decline In The Crypto Market?

Prateek Gupta, head of business at Mudrex, said the crypto pullback is driven by global market sentiment, as geopolitical tensions push investors toward safer assets.

He added, “Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw close to a billion dollars in net outflows last week, marking the first meaningful break in an inflow streak that had been supporting prices around the $80,000 mark. A stronger dollar and concerns around inflation also point to sentiment-driven selling.”

Market In Wait-And-Watch Phase

Experts suggest the pullback is a short-term correction supported by strong long-term accumulation trends.

Prateek added: “We see this as a correction, not a trend reversal. The fundamentals haven’t changed. Long-term Bitcoin holders now hold roughly 15.26 million Bitcoin, the highest since August 2025, and that cohort has accumulated around 316,000 Bitcoins over the past 30 days. That kind of accumulation shows strong conviction in the market.”

He added that the market is currently in a wait-and-watch phase, looking for the next signal.

Paras added, “Bitcoin is currently going through a consolidation phase after a strong rally, and near-term fluctuations may continue as the market absorbs recent liquidations and macro developments.”

He added that while short-term movements may remain sensitive to global factors, the long-term outlook for Bitcoin remains constructive, supported by rising adoption and institutional participation.