On February 18, 2026, from 11:00 to 11:15 (UTC), BTC dropped 0.60% within just 15 minutes, fluctuating around $67,800. Along with a shift toward a more cautious overall market sentiment, short-term volatility intensified, trading activity increased, and market attention continued to heat up.
The primary driver of this movement was macroeconomic pressure. Recent U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate policies have heightened risk aversion in global financial markets, putting collective pressure on risk assets, with the crypto market also weakening accordingly. At the same time, the EU’s latest compliance framework was introduced, and increased regulatory expectations added uncertainty to the market, shaking investor confidence in the short term. Additionally, the key technical support at $68,000 was directly broken, triggering a large number of stop-loss orders and automated trading, which amplified selling pressure.
Meanwhile, on-chain data shows that in the 48 hours prior to the crash, exchange net inflows of BTC increased by 22%, with many holders actively transferring coins to exchanges, creating substantial selling pressure. Short-term trading volume surged by 35%, indicating that both institutional and retail funds responded simultaneously to the downward signals, further fueling the sell-off. From a technical perspective, RSI broke below 50 and MACD bullish signals weakened, confirming that the technicals are in a correction phase. In terms of capital flow, some funds rapidly moved into stablecoins and safe-haven assets like gold, indicating continued outflows of risk capital. On-chain activity decreased by 15% week-over-week, further reflecting waning market participation.
In the short term, BTC still faces increased volatility and downside risk, especially around the key support level of $65,000. If this level is broken, it could trigger a larger correction. Investors should closely monitor on-chain fund flows, trading volume, and macro policy transmission effects. Future focus should be on the $65,000–$68,500 range for volatility, as well as the latest policy developments and market sentiment changes to mitigate short-term risks. For more real-time market information, please stay tuned for updates.
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