Bitcoin dips under $90,000 as global risk assets come under pressure.

Ether Drops Below $3,000 as Bitcoin and Risk Assets Slide

Ether (ETH $2,953) emerged as the weakest major cryptocurrency, falling more than 7% over the past 24 hours and slipping below the $3,000 level for the first time since January 2.

Bitcoin (BTC $89,306) also declined, dropping 3% below $90,000 during U.S. morning trading on Tuesday. The selloff was driven by turmoil in Japan’s government bond market and renewed U.S. tariff threats against Europe, which pushed global risk assets lower.

Altcoins broadly underperformed, while Bitcoin’s market dominance—the share of total crypto capitalization held by BTC—rose to 59.8%, according to TradingView data.

“Volatility is back. Bitcoin is likely to trade lower in line with risk assets, and altcoins will probably see the largest short-term impact,” said Paul Howard of trading firm Wincent.

Global equities reflected the risk-off sentiment: the Nasdaq fell nearly 2%, the Nikkei dropped 2.5% overnight, and Germany’s DAX lost 1%. Meanwhile, safe-haven metals surged, with gold up 3% and silver rising 7% to record highs.

After Tuesday’s pullback, Bitcoin has given up much of its 2026 gains and now trades just 3% above its January 1 level.