Ether Falls Below $3,000 as Bitcoin and Risk Assets Tumble
Ether (ETH $2,953) led losses among major cryptocurrencies, dropping more than 7% in 24 hours and falling below the $3,000 mark for the first time since January 2.
Bitcoin (BTC $89,306) also slipped, down 3% below $90,000 during U.S. morning trading on Tuesday. The selloff was driven by volatility in Japan’s government bond market and renewed U.S. tariff threats against Europe, triggering declines in global risk assets.
Altcoins broadly underperformed, while Bitcoin’s market dominance—the share of total crypto capitalization held by BTC—rose to 59.8%, according to TradingView.
“Volatility is back. Bitcoin is likely to move lower with risk assets, and altcoins will bear the brunt in the short term,” said Paul Howard of trading firm Wincent.
Global equities fell, with the Nasdaq down nearly 2%, the Nikkei off 2.5%, and Germany’s DAX down 1%. Safe-haven metals surged, with gold up 3% and silver rising 7% to record highs.
After Tuesday’s decline, Bitcoin has surrendered much of its 2026 gains, trading just 3% above its January 1 level.
