Who Survived the Crypto Storm: Analysis of the Turbulent Week

If you were able to maintain your portfolio and your peace of mind during these recent days in the digital markets, you deserve recognition. Surviving this week means enduring one of the most turbulent periods in the crypto market. Bitcoin experienced some of the most intense pressure in recent months, with movements that tested every trader and investor’s nerves. The market has taught a harsh lesson: those who do not understand the underlying mechanisms rarely survive extreme volatility moments.

The just-concluded week saw a sharp drop of $17,000 in less than 24 hours, followed by recovery attempts that faced significant resistance. In the middle, cascading liquidations amplified every downward move, dragging not only Bitcoin but the entire crypto ecosystem with them.

Bitcoin: From Vertical Drop to Attempted Rebound

Let’s start from last Saturday, when Bitcoin was around $84,000. Sellers suddenly appeared and pushed the price below $76,000 within hours — a warning sign that something more serious was brewing.

The real storm hit between Thursday and Friday. Bitcoin plummeted from $77,000 down to $60,000, the lowest level since early November 2024. It wasn’t a smooth descent but a forced purge caused by billions of dollars in liquidations. Traders with leveraged positions were wiped out, creating a domino effect of forced sales that accelerated the decline.

The rebound was equally dramatic. Friday evening, Bitcoin gained nearly $12,000, climbing to $72,000. For a critical moment, it seemed the recovery could stabilize. Instead, that resistance strongly pushed back buyers twice, and the price fell again to around $68,000 — the current level according to February 2026 data.

Market capitalization stands at $1.36 trillion. Bitcoin’s dominance has fallen to 56.6%, indicating that altcoins found opportunities to accumulate during the rebound. Although this decline in dominance is contained, it suggests that the market was not only liquidating Bitcoin but also selectively selling other assets.

Ethereum Under Pressure: The $2K Recovery Doesn’t Solve Everything

Ethereum suffered even more intense pressure than Bitcoin. The price dropped from over $3,000 to below $2,700 in just a few days, then further plunged during the peak tension between Thursday and Friday.

What matters is that ETH recovered above the psychological level of $2,000, currently at $1,970 according to current data. Is this a symbolic victory? It depends on the time frame. On the daily chart, the rebound looks promising. On the weekly chart, the damage remains evident. Still, Ethereum holding support above $2,000 is important from a market sentiment perspective.

This event demonstrated that even the main tokens, presumed to be more robust, are not immune to systemic volatility. Ethereum, with all its utility in DeFi protocols and smart contracts, could not withstand mass liquidation pressure.

Divided Altcoins: Daily Gains Don’t Offset Weekly Losses

The altcoin landscape is complex and requires careful attention. Solana rose 0.97% in the last 24 hours to $85.11, while Bitcoin Cash gained 0.58% to $568.35. Tron showed resilience with a +1.48% to $0.29. Even Cardano, despite a 1.83% drop today, remains among the significant projects.

XRP stayed steady at $1.42 (0% over 24 hours), while Dogecoin faced more pressure with a 2.23% decline to $0.10 — notably relevant given its speculative nature.

The fundamental dynamic remains: today’s 1-2% gains do not compensate for weekly losses. For example, Solana gained today but remains down 3.40% weekly. Cardano is in the same situation, with -5.99% over seven days. This illustrates the gap between tactical rebound and structural weakness.

HYPE, which was one of the most discussed tokens in the market, fell 1.63% today to $29.74. PUMP lost 0.75% and remains under pressure with a weekly decline of 10.19%. WLFI, on the other hand, shows resilience with an 11.39% weekly gain despite today’s 3.40% drop.

The Critical Role of Leverage: Why Liquidators Sparked Chaos

What turns an ordinary correction into a storm is the leverage structure in the market. The drop from $77,000 to $60,000 wasn’t driven by fundamental panic or macro bad news. It was a cascade of liquidations, where forced sellers created more forced sellers, amplifying every downward move.

Once the market eliminated excessive leverage and liquidated positions were exhausted, equilibrium was quickly restored. That’s why the rebound came so fast. The market found a new floor where buyers were willing to re-enter.

The lesson for those who want to survive future volatility cycles is clear: leverage is not a multiplier of opportunities but an accelerator of disasters. Traders using 5x, 10x, or higher leverage were simply wiped out.

What to Expect Now: Key Levels for Survival

The $72,000 level for Bitcoin remains the critical inflection point. If Bitcoin manages to convincingly reclaim it early next week, this episode could turn out to be one of the best buying opportunities of 2026. The rebound would have validity, and the market could stabilize on firmer ground.

Conversely, if Bitcoin fails to stay above $68,000 and begins to decline, the Friday low of $60,000 will be tested again. A failure at that level would add further negativity to market sentiment.

The total crypto market cap stands at $2.4 trillion, recovering over $100 billion from the Friday morning low. It seems impressive until you remember how much was lost to get there. For those who survived this week without significant damage, the lesson is: preparation, risk management, and no leverage are the true assets in crypto markets. This market has not finished its search for volatility, and new tests are likely to come.