Bitcoin Plummets to $85,000 Amid Gold Decline

In Crypto Regulations
January 30, 2026

Bitcoin Plummets to $85,000 Amid Gold Decline

On January 29, the leading cryptocurrency sharply fell from $88,000 to $85,000, losing approximately 3.5%. The drop followed a decline in gold prices.

image
15-minute BTC/USDT chart on Binance. Source: TradingView. 

Shortly before the correction, the precious metal reached another all-time high of $5,600 per ounce. At the time of writing, it is trading around $5,100.

image
15-minute AUX/USD chart. Source: TradingView.

The stock market also recorded a decline: the S&P 500 index fell by 1.36% over the day, and the NASDAQ by 1.8%. 

Following Bitcoin, gold, and stocks, the rest of the crypto market also turned red. All top-10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization showed a decline.

image
Source: CoinGecko.

Ethereum fell to $2,800, and Solana dropped below $120. 

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization fell below $3 trillion for the first time since April 2025. 

Expert Observations

Analyst Michaël van de Poppe noted that Bitcoin’s current valuation relative to gold has dropped to 2016 lows. 

“Back then, the first cryptocurrency crashed to $160. After that, a hundredfold increase occurred. The data speaks for itself: Bitcoin is currently significantly undervalued,” he added.

The trader known as DaanCrypto highlighted the acceleration of the global liquidity index at the beginning of 2025. According to him, “significant movements” occurred in all asset classes except Bitcoin.

image
Source: X.

According to Glassnode, the realized profit and loss ratio (90DMA) fell from peak values around 19 in July 2025 to just 1.7 currently.

This sharp decline indicates a significant change in market demand and growing investor dissatisfaction, researchers explained. 

Glassnode identified the $83,400 level as the last support before Bitcoin’s price collapse.

Avatar photo
/ Published posts: 304

Steven M. Crimmins is a cryptocurrency strategist and freelance writer who has followed the blockchain industry since Bitcoin’s early days. Known for his sharp analysis of altcoins and trading strategies, Steven provides Satoshi News Africa readers with market-focused content grounded in research. He is especially interested in how African traders are adopting crypto as an alternative to traditional markets. Steven is also a podcast host, where he discusses emerging technologies and investment trends.