Bitcoin drops to $73K amid renewed US strikes on Iran and ETF outflows

• Bitcoin (BTC) is down to around $73K amid ETF outflows and geopolitical tension.
• Over $2B in ETF outflows and $900M liquidations added selling pressure.
• The key support sits at $72,650 with RSI near oversold levels at 34.82.

Bitcoin slipped below the $73,000 level as a combination of geopolitical escalation, heavy ETF redemptions, and large institutional sell pressure weighed on the market.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading around $73,235, after briefly touching an intraday low of $72,604 from a high of $74,490.

The decline has extended a multi-week decline that has already erased more than 8% over the past 14 days and nearly 33% over the last year.

Geopolitical shock and forced liquidations accelerate the downtrend

The sharpest part of the decline came after renewed US military strikes on Iran, which triggered a broad risk-off reaction across global markets.

Crypto assets were hit particularly hard due to their higher leverage exposure.

During the selloff, more than $900 million in crypto positions were liquidated, according to market data compiled during the session.

The liquidations were concentrated in over-leveraged long positions, which forced additional selling into already weakening order books.

This cascade effect pushed Bitcoin below the $73,000 threshold and briefly accelerated downside momentum before stabilising within the day’s range.

The move also coincided with increased correlation to traditional risk assets, with Bitcoin’s correlation to the Nasdaq Composite reported at 0.96, one of the highest levels seen in recent months.

Bitcoin ETF outflows deepen institutional selling pressure

Alongside macro-driven volatility, institutional flows added sustained pressure on Bitcoin’s price.

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded eight consecutive days of net outflows, marking one of the longest negative streaks since their introduction.

On May 27 alone, ETF outflows reached approximately $733 million, contributing to a broader net withdrawal exceeding $2 billion since mid-May.

These redemptions reflect consistent selling pressure from institutional investors, reducing exposure during the recent downturn.

The largest pressure point during the session was linked to a reported $1.3 billion institutional ETF-related block trade, involving approximately 29.2 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), executed at an estimated price of $43.16 per share.

The trade was reportedly processed through private market channels before the impact was reflected in spot markets.

Following the execution, Bitcoin dropped roughly 1.4% to 1.5% within minutes, suggesting that liquidity conditions were thin enough for large orders to influence short-term pricing.

This added to the existing ETF-driven selling momentum already in place across the market.

Bitcoin price outlook

Over the past month, Bitcoin has declined by about 4.7%, while the 14-day drop of 8.4% points to a broader downtrend that has steadily developed in recent weeks.

The asset remains well below its highs, trading roughly 42% under the $126,080 peak recorded in October 2025.

Even with the pullback, market activity has remained elevated, with daily trading volume above $44 billion, suggesting that both institutional and retail participants are still actively positioning rather than exiting the market entirely.

This sustained activity suggests that the current move is being driven more by repositioning and flow shifts than by a drop in overall participation.

From a technical perspective, Bitcoin has broken below its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day moving averages, reinforcing a bearish short-term structure.

The immediate focus is now on the $72,650 support level, which represents the most recent swing low and the key area separating consolidation from deeper downside pressure.

On the upside, the nearest resistance is the 50% Fibonacci retracement level at $74,332, which has now become the first meaningful barrier for any recovery attempt.

If ETF outflows continue or geopolitical tensions remain elevated, a decisive break below $72,650 could expose the market to a potential move toward the psychologically important $70,000 level, where liquidity and buyer interest may be tested more aggressively.

At the same time, momentum indicators are showing early signs of exhaustion on the downside, with the 14-day RSI at 34.82, placing Bitcoin near oversold territory and increasing the likelihood of short-term relief bounces within the broader downtrend.