Trading Moment: Tech Stock Pullback Drags Down Major Indices, BTC Fails to Reclaim $70,000 Mark

marsbitPublished on 2026-02-27Last updated on 2026-02-27

Abstract

Tech stocks dragged down major indices, with the S&P 500 falling 0.54% and the Nasdaq dropping 1.18%, while the Dow edged up slightly. The 10-year Treasury yield fell below 4%, hitting a new low since late last year. Geopolitical tensions and dovish signals from the Fed fueled risk-off sentiment. In AI, Nvidia fell 5.49% despite strong earnings, reflecting concerns over AI spending sustainability. DeepSeek's new model, seen as a potential threat to Nvidia, added to sector worries. Block surged 24% after announcing a major shift to AI-driven operations and cutting nearly half its workforce. Bitcoin failed to reclaim $70K, falling below $68K amid cautious sentiment. Analysts are divided: bears warn of further declines, while bulls see accumulation signs. Over $7.8B in BTC options expire Friday. Ethereum hovered near $2K, with key options expiry also on Friday. Bearish views highlight resistance and liquidation risks, while bulls note potential bullish divergence and shifting market structure. Key data: Crypto ETFs saw net inflows for three straight days. Fear and Greed Index rose slightly to 13 (Extreme Fear). Nearly 95K traders were liquidated, totaling $196M.

Daily market key data review and trend analysis, produced by PANews.

Macro Market

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, dragged down by weakness in tech stocks. The S&P 500 closed down 0.54% at 6,908.85 points, while the Nasdaq Composite plunged 1.18% to 22,878.38 points, nearly erasing Wednesday's gains. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.03% to 49,499.20 points. U.S. Treasury yields across maturities generally declined, with the 10-year Treasury yield falling below 4%, hitting a new low since late November last year.

Amid rising risk-off sentiment, the Fed rate cut博弈 (game) reignited, with former Governor Stephen Milan sending strong dovish signals. He publicly called for a full 100 basis points of rate cuts in 2026, emphasizing that high compliance costs are inhibiting bank lending, and weak inflationary pressures are supporting the dovish stance of incoming Fed Chair nominee Kevin Warsh.

Simultaneously, geopolitical clouds further fueled market risk aversion, with WTI crude oil fluctuating widely before closing slightly down 0.15%. Vance entered the U.S.-Iran negotiations and will meet with the Omani Foreign Minister on Friday, aiming to advance U.S.-Iran nuclear talks and avoid war. Meanwhile, Pakistan launched heavy airstrikes against the Afghan Taliban, declaring "patience exhausted" and initiating open warfare. Border clashes between the two sides have resulted in over 70 deaths since October last year.

AI Sector Dynamics

The AI sector is at a critical stage of narrative restructuring, with capital gradually shifting from the "picks and shovels" logic to the application layer. According to Goldman Sachs data, short positions in the software industry have reached a seven-year high, while long positions have hit rock bottom. In this narrative shift, a deep dive report from Deutsche Bank sparked deep thought on Wall Street. The report extrapolated two extreme endgames for AI development: either, as predicted by Marx and envisioned by Musk, AI completely replaces labor, leading to a restructuring of capitalism; or history repeats itself, with AI merely serving as a technology empowering humans.

Furthermore, despite reporting a 73% year-on-year surge in revenue, giant NVIDIA's stock plummeted 5.7% intraday and closed down 5.49% due to market concerns about the sustainability of AI spending. Meanwhile, net retail buying of NVIDIA stock hit a record high since 2012. The market also传出 (circulated) that the DeepSeek V4 model offered early access to domestic suppliers. Its new model, codenamed Sealion-lite, features a million-level context window and is natively multimodal, seen as a potential signal to bypass the NVIDIA ecosystem, intensifying panic selling in the chip sector. Baidu, also pushing into the application layer, delivered its transformation report card. Its AI cloud business annual revenue surpassed 30 billion yuan for the first time, with core AI business accounting for 43% of total general business revenue, successfully offsetting the gloom of traditional business contraction.

Facing the efficiency revolution of the AI era, enterprises have begun drastic measures for survival. Fintech giant Block announced layoffs of 4,000 employees, cutting nearly half its workforce. CEO Jack Dorsey clearly stated a full bet on AI-driven operational efficiency. This decisive organizational restructuring won疯狂追捧 (crazy追捧 - fervent pursuit) from the capital market, with the stock soaring over 24% after hours.

Bitcoin Market

The crypto market was overall shrouded in risk-off sentiment. The Fear & Greed Index rose slightly to 13 but remained in extreme fear. Affected by the pullback in U.S. tech stocks and rising macro risk-off sentiment, Bitcoin failed to reclaim the $70,000 mark and lost the $68,000 trendline. Although U.S. spot ETFs have seen net inflows for 3 consecutive days, panic sentiment remains strong in the derivatives market. $7.8 billion in Bitcoin options are set to expire this Friday, with the max pain point at $75,000. Current market sentiment is relatively cautious. According to unbias data, 57% of analysts are short-term bullish.

Bearish Views

The core logic of the bearish camp lies in the uncertainty of macro liquidity and the suppression of historical cycle patterns. They believe the current rebound is just a bull trap in a bear market, and the real bottom is far from reached.

  • Trader Roman pointed out that previous bear market cycles saw declines close to 80%, while the current pullback from the high is only about 53%, with no reversal signs on monthly or weekly charts.

  • Analyst Rekt Capital emphasized that the shortest Bitcoin bear market in history lasted 365 days, while the current bear market is only about 140 days. It is too early to talk about the end of the bear market, and the 200-week moving average is constituting strong downward pressure.

  • Analyst Willy Woo warned that if the global macro environment weakens significantly, $30,000 or even $16,000 would be the last line of defense to maintain the long-term bull market structure.

Bullish Views

The bullish camp finds support from on-chain data, institutional fund flows, and structural cycle perspectives. They firmly believe selling pressure has dried up, and the market is on the eve of a reversal buildup.

  • Binance Research believes Bitcoin is near a structural bottom. The current divergence between BTC and global M2 money supply stems from structural distortions. Once software stocks bottom out, the mechanical linkage between tech stocks and Bitcoin will fade.

  • Analyst Willy Woo stated that selling pressure from investors in this round seems to have temporarily ceased, and the market may consolidate sideways. The fourth quarter would be a good time to end the bear market trend.

  • Santiment pointed out that the number of wallets holding more than 100 BTC continues to grow, indicating wealth is concentrating among "whales." Historically, such increases in whale wallets often occur during accumulation stages that support price recovery.

Ethereum Market

Ethereum's movement is highly correlated with the broader market, oscillating slightly around $2,000. On-chain data shows ETH's MVRV Z-Score has fallen into the historical accumulation zone, and the realized volatility of Ethereum on Binance has surged to a 12-month high, suggesting the market is undergoing strong repricing. $961 million in Ethereum options will expire this Friday, with a put/call ratio of 0.77 and a max pain point at $2,200. Current market sentiment is in a repair period after extreme pessimism, with bottom-fishing funds eager to act.

Bearish Views

The bearish camp mainly worries about the dense resistance from above (套牢盘 - bagholders) and liquidation risks in the derivatives market. They believe a rebound is difficult to sustain without strong fundamental catalysts.

  • Market analyst IncomeSharks pointed out that Ethereum faces repeated rejections at the super trendline on the daily chart. There is strong channel resistance near $2,250 above, and sellers still control the situation.

  • Analyst Dom reminded that if Ethereum cannot effectively stabilize above the Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) of $2,140, the price will remain trapped within the established oscillation range.

  • Near $1,800, Ethereum still harbors $2.66 billion in long liquidation额度 (quotas/levels).

Bullish Views

The bullish camp sees strong signals for a bottom rebound from valuation repair, funding rate reversal, and divergence from U.S. stocks.

  • Prominent economist Krugman clearly stated that Ethereum is beginning to show early signs of bottoming. This is the first bullish divergence of cryptocurrencies relative to U.S. stocks since last year. The crypto market might bottom out before U.S. stocks peak.

  • Analyst Trader Tardigrade believes Ethereum is currently testing the multi-year support trendline around $1,800-$1,900. Historical experience suggests that once this level is held, the price will迎来 (usher in) a parabolic explosive rise.

  • Analyst Pelin Ay pointed out that the funding rate for ETH on Binance has sharply turned positive from negative, indicating that previously aggressive shorts have been squeezed out, and market structure is shifting in favor of bulls.

Key Data (As of 13:00 HKT, Feb 27)

(Data Source: CoinAnk, Upbit, SoSoValue, CryptoBubbles)

  • Bitcoin ETF:+ $254 million, net inflows for 3 consecutive days

  • Ethereum ETF:+ $6.5742 million, net inflows for 3 consecutive days

  • SOL ETF: + $507.8 thousand

  • XRP ETF: + $1.2163 million

  • Fear & Greed Index: 13 (Extreme Fear)

  • Upbit 24h Trading Volume Ranking: XRP, BTC, ETH, ENSO, CFG

  • Sector Gains/Losses: GameFi sector up 6.21%, AI sector down 2%

24-Hour Liquidation Data: 94,779 people were liquidated globally, with a total liquidation amount of $196 million. BTC liquidations were $60.3056 million, ETH $48.453 million, SOL $8.8097 million.

Today's Outlook

  • Binance Alpha will list Fabric Protocol (ROBO) on February 27

  • Binance will delist spot trading pairs including DOT/BRL, GRT/ETH on February 27

  • Jupiter (JUP) will unlock approximately 253 million tokens worth about $49.4 million on February 28

  • Grass (GRASS) will unlock approximately 55 million tokens worth about $13.48 million on February 28

Top 100 Coins by Market Cap - Biggest Gainers Today: Power Protocol up 71.4%, Decred up 13.3%, Stable up 9.9%, Internet Computer up 7.8%, MemeCore up 6.5%.

Hot News

  • LayerZero DAO burns all remaining STG, STG officially renamed to ZRO

  • SBI launches Japan's first trust-based yen stablecoin JPYSC, planned for Q2 launch

  • Polymarket bets on Axiom insider addresses may point to Pump.fun partner, ZachXBT denies connection

  • Avalanche ecosystem accelerator Colony announces it will cease operations by the end of the quarter

  • Report: Over half of top 25 US banks piloting crypto业务 (crypto business), ~716 million global coin holders

  • US OCC stablecoin proposed rule: Stablecoin redemption within 2 business days max, can extend to 7 days if daily redemptions exceed 10% of circulating supply

  • Magic Eden plans to shut down Bitcoin and EVM markets and terminate multi-chain wallet

  • Cardone Capital preparing to tokenize ~$5 billion in real estate assets

  • Anthropic says it rejected the Pentagon's "final proposal"

  • Foreign media: Paypal and Stripe are not currently in talks, Paypal currently has no plan to sell itself

  • Block is cutting 4,000 jobs, nearly half its workforce

  • Deribit: ~$8.8 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options expiring this Friday

  • <极="1" p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Vitalik has累计 (cumulatively) sold 16,420 ETH, cashing out ~$32.84 million

Related Questions

QWhat was the main reason for the decline in the US stock market on Thursday, and how did the major indices perform?

AThe decline in the US stock market was primarily due to weakness in technology stocks. The S&P 500 fell 0.54% to 6,908.85 points, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.18% to 22,878.38 points, nearly erasing its gains from the previous day. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.03% to 49,499.20 points.

QWhat significant signal did former Fed Governor Stephen Milan release regarding interest rates, and what was his reasoning?

AFormer Fed Governor Stephen Milan released a strong dovish signal, publicly calling for a full 100 basis point interest rate cut in 2026. He argued that excessively high compliance costs are inhibiting bank lending, and weak inflationary pressures are providing support for a future dovish stance from new Fed Chair nominee Kevin Warsh.

QWhy did Nvidia's stock price fall significantly after reporting a 73% year-on-year revenue increase?

ANvidia's stock price fell 5.49% despite strong earnings due to market concerns about the sustainability of AI-related expenditures. This sell-off was also exacerbated by news that DeepSeek's V4 model, which might bypass the Nvidia ecosystem, was being offered to domestic suppliers for early access.

QWhat are the key arguments from the bearish and bullish camps regarding Bitcoin's price outlook?

ABearish analysts argue that the current rebound is a bull trap in a bear market, citing historical cycle patterns where corrections were deeper (near 80%) and lasted longer. They point to a lack of reversal signals on monthly and weekly charts and strong resistance from the 200-week moving average. Bullish analysts believe selling pressure has exhausted, pointing to on-chain data like growing whale wallets, institutional ETF inflows, and a structural divergence from global M2 money supply that they are near a structural bottom and poised for a reversal, potentially in Q4.

QWhat major event is expected in the derivatives market on Friday, and what is its potential impact?

AApproximately $8.8 billion worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum options are set to expire on Friday. For Bitcoin, the notional value is $7.8 billion with a max pain point at $75,000. For Ethereum, the notional value is $961 million with a max pain point at $2,200. This large expiry can lead to increased volatility as market makers hedge their positions around these key price levels.

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What is $BITCOIN

DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN): A Comprehensive Analysis Introduction to DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) is a blockchain-based project operating on the Solana network, which aims to combine the characteristics of traditional precious metals with the innovation of decentralized technologies. While it shares a name with Bitcoin, often referred to as “digital gold” due to its perception as a store of value, DIGITAL GOLD is a separate token designed to create a unique ecosystem within the Web3 landscape. Its goal is to position itself as a viable alternative digital asset, although specifics regarding its applications and functionalities are still developing. What is DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN)? DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) is a cryptocurrency token explicitly designed for use on the Solana blockchain. In contrast to Bitcoin, which provides a widely recognized value storage role, this token appears to focus on broader applications and characteristics. Notable aspects include: Blockchain Infrastructure: The token is built on the Solana blockchain, known for its capacity to handle high-speed and low-cost transactions. Supply Dynamics: DIGITAL GOLD has a maximum supply capped at 100 quadrillion tokens (100P $BITCOIN), although details regarding its circulating supply are currently undisclosed. Utility: While precise functionalities are not explicitly outlined, there are indications that the token could be utilized for various applications, potentially involving decentralized applications (dApps) or asset tokenization strategies. Who is the Creator of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN)? At present, the identity of the creators and development team behind DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) remains unknown. This situation is typical among many innovative projects within the blockchain space, particularly those aligning with decentralized finance and meme coin phenomena. While such anonymity may foster a community-driven culture, it intensifies concerns about governance and accountability. Who are the Investors of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN)? The available information indicates that DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) does not have any known institutional backers or prominent venture capital investments. The project seems to operate on a peer-to-peer model focused on community support and adoption rather than traditional funding routes. Its activity and liquidity are primarily situated on decentralized exchanges (DEXs), such as PumpSwap, rather than established centralized trading platforms, further highlighting its grassroots approach. How DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) Works The operational mechanics of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) can be elaborated on based on its blockchain design and network attributes: Consensus Mechanism: By leveraging Solana’s unique proof-of-history (PoH) combined with a proof-of-stake (PoS) model, the project ensures efficient transaction validation contributing to the network's high performance. Tokenomics: While specific deflationary mechanisms have not been extensively detailed, the vast maximum token supply implies that it may cater to microtransactions or niche use cases that are still to be defined. Interoperability: There exists the potential for integration with Solana’s broader ecosystem, including various decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. However, the details regarding specific integrations remain unspecified. Timeline of Key Events Here is a timeline that highlights significant milestones concerning DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN): 2023: The initial deployment of the token occurs on the Solana blockchain, marked by its contract address. 2024: DIGITAL GOLD gains visibility as it becomes available for trading on decentralized exchanges like PumpSwap, allowing users to trade it against SOL. 2025: The project witnesses sporadic trading activity and potential interest in community-led engagements, although no noteworthy partnerships or technical advancements have been documented as of yet. Critical Analysis Strengths Scalability: The underlying Solana infrastructure supports high transaction volumes, which could enhance the utility of $BITCOIN in various transaction scenarios. Accessibility: The potential low trading price per token could attract retail investors, facilitating wider participation due to fractional ownership opportunities. 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Note: This report encompasses synthesised information available as of October 2023, and developments may have transpired beyond the research period.

363 Total ViewsPublished 2025.05.13Updated 2025.05.13

What is $BITCOIN

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