Bitcoin’s June Bloodbath Explained: Causes, Market Impact, And Outlook

Bitcoin’s price action in June has been marked by heavy selling pressure, with the leading cryptocurrency suffering one of its sharpest declines of the year. In the first five days of the month, Bitcoin has triggered more than 1.28 billion in long liquidations as prices plunged toward the critical 60,000 region. According to the renowned analyst, Bitcoin’s struggles are part of a broader market-wide risk-off move in the US financial markets. In an X post on June 6, Adler Jr. explained that the Bitcoin market turmoil began following the release of stronger-than-expected US labor market data. The US economy reportedly added 172,000 jobs in May, significantly above forecasts of 88,000. Generally, rising employment is viewed as a positive economic signal. However, with inflationary pressures remaining elevated and energy prices still relatively high, investors interpreted the report differently. According to Adler Jr., the stronger labor market reinforced expectations that the US Federal Reserve is likely to adopt a restrictive monetary policy. Therefore, expectations for future rate hikes rose from 40 to 57. The impact was felt across multiple asset classes. In the trading session on June 5, approximately 2.5 trillion was reportedly erased from major financial markets, including the SP 500 (1.14 trillion), Nasdaq (1.11 trillion), gold (1 trillion), silver (280 billion), and Bitcoin (80 billion). Related Reading: Bitcoin Testing A Critical Support After Sharp Market-Wide Selloff Bitcoin Remains In Danger Of Excessive Leverage Despite Decline Beyond macroeconomic factors, Adler Jr. also highlighted the excessive leverage in the Bitcoin market. Notably, funding rates have remained positive throughout the decline, indicating that traders continued paying premiums to maintain long positions even as prices moved lower. Such conditions often signal excessive bullish positioning but pose a serious risk of forced liquidations if the decline persists. At the same time, Bitcoin open interest remained elevated, as the 30-day open interest change peaked at 14.1 on June 3, then eased slightly to 8.4 by June 6. The market expert explains that such movement indicates that leverage had accumulated rapidly during the decline before being forced out. In other layers of the market, US Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded approximately 1.40 billion in weekly net outflows, removing an important source of demand to become part of the selling pressure. Meanwhile, Adler Jr. highlights an increase in exchange inflows as Bitcoin’s seven-day exchange netflow average climbed to 10,200 BTC on June 2, then retraced to around 6,200 BTC. Historically, rising exchange balances are often associated with increased sell-side activity. Related Reading: Ethereum Breakdown Warning: This Key Level Could Trigger More Downtrend Bitcoin Outlook Hinges On Vital 60,000 Support At press time, Bitcoin trades at 61,593, reflecting a 1.95 gain in the past day. According to Adler Jr., the key market level is 60,000, representing the current cycle low. The market analyst states it’s important that several market segments, i.e., ETF outflows, exchange inflows, and the futures market cool down before a price break occurs below 60,000, to avoid another cascading effect. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from Tradingview