- Bitcoin and Ethereum led crypto crash ahead of Wall Street’s Black Monday fears.
- Trump’s tariff policy fueled fears, sparking a sharp sell-off across all asset classes.
- Crypto liquidations crossed $1B as BTC fell 6.3% and Ethereum dropped nearly 15% in one day.
Before Wall Street rang its opening bell, Bitcoin had already taken the first punch. Over the weekend, the crypto market turned red. Bitcoin dropped early, followed by Ethereum and other digital assets. While stock market watchers braced for Black Monday, crypto was already in the storm.
Jim Cramer sounded the alarm late Saturday, warning of a potential Black Monday, in reference to 1987’s historic crash. Ron Filipkowski went further, calling it “one of the nastiest Black Mondays” in history. But for crypto investors, the damage had already started.
Bitcoin led the retreat, sliding 6.3% on Sunday. It now trades 28.3% below its all-time high. The coin came close to $76,900 but failed to break $76,600. Ethereum took a bigger hit. Its price fell nearly 15% in one day, dropping to $1,538.29.
The panic spread across altcoins. The total value of all non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies fell under $1 trillion and is now around $930 billion. Traders saw massive losses across the board. CoinGlass data reported liquidations topping $1 billion. Bitcoin alone accounted for $300 million in wiped-out positions.
As the markets reeled, political tension added fuel to the fire. President Donald Trump’s new tariff policy stirred global unease. His proposal includes a flat 10% tariff on all imports. Some countries like China and Vietnam face rates of up to 50%. Trump defended the move in a post, calling tariffs “a beautiful thing.” The policy sparked fears of global trade friction. Investors reacted swiftly. Equities, commodities, and even gold joined the sell-off. Market sentiment turned sharply negative by Sunday night.
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Wall Street was late to the slide. Ryan Cohen mocked the situation online, posting: “Jim Cramer saves the stock market by predicting Black Monday 2025.” But in reality, crypto markets had already crashed before traditional investors blinked. The sell-off shows how digital assets now react ahead of traditional finance. This time, Bitcoin didn’t follow panic, it started it. Ethereum and altcoins followed close behind.
Meanwhile, Coinbase saw heavy action as traders moved to de-risk. Volatility across crypto markets is expected to continue as uncertainty grows. All eyes now turn to U.S. markets for further reactions. Whether this is a one-day dip or the start of a deeper correction remains unknown. But for crypto, Black Monday didn’t wait.
