The cryptocurrency market was in the red on Tuesday as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE) and other digital assets tanked. The crypto market crash happened at the same time as other risk-off events across the global financial market due to higher US treasury yields, a more hawkish Fed, and increased macroeconomic risk.

Why The Sudden Crypto Market Crash?

1. Rising U.S. Treasury Yields Trigger Risk-Off Sentiment

The crypto market has been declining today, and one of its leading causes was the increase in bond yields. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose to 4.70%, with the 30-year and 5-year U.S. Treasury yields also up at 4.61% and 4.50%, respectively.

For context, higher bond yields make traditional investments more attractive, drawing capital away from riskier assets like cryptocurrencies. This shift also lead to further sell-off across other assets classes, including equities. The Nasdaq 100 dropped more than 1 percent and popular tech stocks including NVIDIA and Tesla suffered losses. For instance, Tesla stocks fell by 4.68% to $391.81 per share wiping off $19.24 of the share value.

     2. Hawkish Federal Reserve Outlook Adds to Pressure

Moreover, the stance of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy also played a big role in influencing investor perception. Minutes from the December meeting estimated lower interest rate cuts in 2025 than earlier projected.

The reports before the Fed minutes unveiled a robust labour market with job openings climbing to a six-month high. This led to a question of a possible continued inflation, which would mean a stricter monetary policy. In the past, tighter policies have been unfavorable to the cryptocurrencies as the higher interest rates make the cryptocurrencies unattractive.

Also, JOLTS job openings increased by 259,000 to 8.1 million in November 2024, which was the second straight month of growth. Professional services and finance were the best performers in the market. ISM Services PMI also pointed to the continuation of economic performance which stirred the fears of limited fed rate cuts in 2025.

     3. Macro Uncertainty and Broader Economic Concerns

Uncertainty in the U.S. economy has heightened market volatility. Fiscal policies under President Donald Trump and the looming debt ceiling have created investor unease. Rising fiscal deficits and unclear Treasury strategies add to the concerns, further impacting market confidence.

Analysts, including Arthur Hayes, predict a short-term boost for crypto in Q1 2025 due to increased U.S. dollar liquidity. The Treasury’s spending could temporarily fuel gains for Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, the need to refill the Treasury General Account and April’s tax season could reverse these gains, leading to a crypto market crash.

Crypto-linked stocks like Coinbase and MicroStrategy have also suffered sharp declines. Rising bond yields and the Federal Reserve’s hawkish stance have intensified the sell-off. This downturn reflects the interconnected nature of global markets

BTC, ETH, DOGE, And Altcoins Price Action Amid Crypto Market Crash

The crypto market’s losses were pronounced, with major cryptocurrencies suffering steep declines and trading volumes surging amid the sell-off.

Bitcoin (BTC) price dropped 5.04% to $96,713, falling below the $100,000 psychological support level. The 24-hour trading volume rose 13% to $55.12 billion, indicating increased activity as traders reacted to the downturn. Its market capitalization declined to $1.91 trillion, reflecting the broader BTC bearish sentiment.

Meanwhile, Ethereum (ETH) was down by 8% to $3,394 after failing to hold the $3,600 level. Market capitalization of the company fell to $412.29 billion, while trading volume rose by 21% to $28.23 billion. Rising volatility indicated that the investors are more uncertain as compared to the previous periods in this environment.

Likewise, the value of XRP price declined by 5.66% to $2.29 as market capitalization fell by 6.03% to $131.29 billion. Nevertheless, the trading volume rose to $6.95 billion, which is 57.57% more, which shows increased activity.

The crypto market crash also affected top meme coins. Dogecoin (DOGE) recorded a 9.12% drop to $0.3546. Its market capitalization decreased to $52.3 billion, and trading volume soared 54% to $4.6 billion. The increase in trading activity reflected mixed reactions, ranging from profit-taking to panic-driven selling.

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Ronny Mugendi

Ronny Mugendi is a seasoned crypto journalist with four years of professional experience, having contributed significantly to various media outlets on cryptocurrency trends and technologies. With over 4000 published articles across various media outlets, he aims to inform, educate and introduce more people to the Blockchain and DeFi world. Outside of his journalism career, Ronny enjoys the thrill of bike riding, exploring new trails and landscapes.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.