Key takeaways:

• Over-leveraged Bitcoin short positions between $63,000 and $66,000 have created a potential $2.6 billion squeeze trap for bears.
• Negative perpetual funding rates indicate that bulls have fully deleveraged, significantly reducing downside risk.

The Bitcoin (BTC) crash to $61,100 on Friday wiped out $335 million in leveraged long positions. However, after a 21% decline in Bitcoin’s price, bulls might have set a perfect trap as negative market sentiment intensified. Bearish positions built up heavily between $63,000 and $66,000, setting the stage for a potential $2.6 billion short squeeze.

Estimated cumulative Bitcoin liquidation at major exchanges, USD. Source: CoinGlass

Estimated liquidations for a further 8% drop in Bitcoin to $57,000 from $62,000 stand at $1.2 billion. In contrast, a rally to $66,000 would put $2.6 billion of short positions at risk. This potential squeeze might provide enough fuel to revive buyer confidence following a record-breaking 13-day streak of net outflows from spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs daily net flows, USD. Source: SoSoValue

The minor $3 million net inflow on Thursday could represent a temporary breathing room after 15 days of selling that drained $5.1 billion. It remains too early to conclude that momentum has officially flipped in favor of the bulls. Ultimately, if bears kept their leverage low and played conservatively, the actual threat of a massive short squeeze might be minimal.

Bitcoin perpetual futures annualized funding rate. Source: Laevitas

A neutral funding rate typically ranges between 6% and 12%, with longs paying to keep their positions open. The current negative 2% Bitcoin perpetual futures funding rate suggests growing confidence among bears. Thus, even if it takes time for Bitcoin to reclaim the $66,000 level, bulls have fully deleveraged, reducing downside risk.

Nasdaq 100 futures (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD (right). Source: TradingView

Bitcoin has severely underperformed the Nasdaq 100 index, but the tech sector is beginning to display weakness after Broadcom (AVGO US) closed down 12.6% Thursday, erasing $280 billion in market value. The company trimmed its AI chip sales forecast for the second half of 2026, putting investors on alert.

Impact of the tech sector IPOs and Strategy’s 32 BTC sale

Other prominent names in the AI sector also felt the impact. Micron (MU US) traded down 7.8% while Arm (ARM US) dropped 4.5%. With highly anticipated IPOs from SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI in sight, investors likely opted to raise cash ahead of those offerings. Analysts claim this liquidity drain also contributed to Bitcoin’s recent weakness.

Related: Strategy’s leveraged Bitcoin model has faced its first stress test–Grayscale

Source: X/dgt10011

Jeff Park, partner at ParaFi Capital and Bitwise advisor, argues that the AI sector is draining money from other investments as the market becomes a “hot ball of money” that everyone suddenly “has to own”. However, Park reminds that once this period of AI mania blows off, capital will eventually rotate back to Bitcoin as its discounted valuation works in its favor.

Regardless of whether Bitcoin’s weakness stems from AI sector hype, excessive confidence from bears poses a major risk once spot Bitcoin ETF inflows pick up or the fear surrounding a recent 32 BTC sale from Strategy (MSTR US) dissipates. A rally back to $66,000 might seem unlikely at first glance, but a sudden short squeeze could quickly shift momentum in favor of the bulls.

For 13 uninterrupted trading days, not a single dollar of net new money moved into spot bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs). 

Indeed, they bled money each and every session from May 15 through June 3, marking the longest uninterrupted run of outflows since their launch in January 2024.

Total cumulative outflows were 59,351 BTC, exceeding $4.3 billion worth of selling.

The streak finally broke yesterday with a meager $3.2 million inflow.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done. BTC crashed to under $60,000 just a day later.

At time of writing, BTC is down 17% over the past week and is trading at its lowest level since October 2024.

A week of unwanted records for BTC ETFs

The multi-billion dollar, nearly three-week outflow streak blew past every prior record in the short history of the ETFs. 

Most of the outflows withdrew from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the biggest of the funds. Its worst day brought about $528 million in withdrawals, IBIT’s second-largest single-day outflow ever, just shy of its January 2025 record.

Of course, none of those sell and redemption orders came from BlackRock itself.

ETF outflows originate with customer orders across hundreds of independent brokerages. The sponsors such as Blackrock, Fidelity, Morgan Stanley, or Franklin Templeton merely operate the fund, they don’t manage its assets with any discretion.

Read more: Bitcoin dropped to $0.019 on Revolut today

The uninterrupted 13 days were the tail end of a decline that had been accumulating for weeks. All of it led up to today’s crash to under $60,000 per BTC.

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The month of May closed as spot BTC ETFs’ worst month all year. Net outflows last month hit $2.4 billion, the largest monthly exit since November 2025. Only six of May’s 20 trading days attracted any net inflow.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas admitted, “this is the bad times.”

Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Some digital asset industry advocates are pushing back against a provision in a $56 billion state budget passed by the Illinois General Assembly on Monday, due to its impact on crypto users. 

In a Senate bill included as part of the Illinois state budget for the fiscal year 2027, lawmakers proposed a 0.2% tax on crypto transactions, to be imposed by the “digital asset broker making or effectuating the sale of the digital asset business activity.” The 1624-page bill, part of the revenue and tax package to fund the state’s 2027 budget, passed along party lines early on Monday.

Senate Bill 3019. Source: Illinois General Assembly

The measure, described as a “privilege tax” within the Digital Asset Privilege Tax Act amendment to the bill, included registration requirements for any entity operating as a digital asset broker in Illinois. Brokers who failed to follow the guidelines from Jan. 1 could be found guilty of a Class 3 felony in the state and subject to a prison sentence of two to five years and fines up to $25,000.

Passed by the state general assembly on Monday, the budget bill still needs Governor JB Pritzker’s signature before becoming law. Pritzker made several public statements signaling that he plans to sign the bill soon, but had not done so as of Friday morning. Lawmakers expect the crypto tax to generate $60 million for the state.

Related: Crypto industry ties were a liability in Illinois primary

This crypto tax measure has prompted accusations from industry advocates of “burying” the rule within a massive budget proposal. The Digital Chamber and Illinois Blockchain Association penned a letter on Wednesday urging the state to reject the Digital Asset Privilege Tax Act, claiming that it would be “economically destructive” and gave the industry no notice of its intentions.

“No other state has imposed a similar tax, and the lack of stakeholder engagement surrounding this proposal raises significant concerns,” said The Digital Chamber in a Thursday X post.

Source: The Digital Chamber

Illinois governor goes after insider trading on prediction markets

The crypto tax proposal in Illinois’ budget followed Pritzker’s signing of an executive order banning state employees from betting on prediction market event contracts with companies such as Kalshi and Polymarket. The EO, signed on April 21, came in response to concerns elected officials could use the platforms “for personal enrichment and advantage based on access to nonpublic information.”

Magazine: Bitcoin miners are pivoting to AI, so why is the hashrate near ATHs?

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Bitcoin price has fallen below $60,000 after a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report prompted traders to scale back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts and price in a higher probability of policy tightening later this year.

According to data from crypto.news, Bitcoin (BTC) price fell to an intraday low of around $59,100 on June 5 before stabilizing near $59,400 at press time. The move extended a 10-day decline of roughly $19,000 from recent highs and pushed the cryptocurrency below the closely watched $60,000 support area for the first time since 2024.

Fresh labor market data triggered the latest wave of selling. The U.S. economy added 172,000 nonfarm payrolls in May, far above expectations of 85,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. Revised data also added 93,000 jobs to the previous two months, reinforcing the view that labor conditions remain resilient despite slowing growth elsewhere.

BREAKING: The US economy adds 172,000 jobs in May, crushing expectations of 85,000.

The unemployment rate was 4.3%, in-line with expectations of 4.3%.

April’s jobs number was also revised UP by +64,000 jobs.

This marks the second strongest US jobs report in 13 months.

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) June 5, 2026

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BNP Paribas added to the hawkish narrative this week after abandoning its expectation for stable monetary policy and forecasting three Federal Reserve rate hikes beginning in December. The bank cited persistent inflation risks, firm employment conditions, and the potential impact of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict on energy prices.

Following the jobs report, Polymarket assigned a 52% probability to a Fed rate increase before year-end, while CME FedWatch showed a 42.7% chance that rates will be higher by December.

Derivatives markets amplified the selloff as leveraged positions unraveled. CoinGlass data showed that more than $155 million in crypto long positions were liquidated within a single hour, while total liquidations topped $1.7 billion over the past 24 hours. Forced selling accelerated after Bitcoin lost the $60,000 level, triggering liquidation engines across major exchanges.

Institutional flows offered one of the few signs of stabilization. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $3 million in net inflows on June 4, ending a 13-day streak of withdrawals that had drained $4.37 billion from the funds, per data from SoSoValue. Although the inflow was modest, it interrupted the longest period of sustained selling pressure from ETF investors this year.

Meanwhile, traditional safe-haven assets failed to attract buyers during the risk-off move. Gold fell roughly 3.5% while silver dropped 7.5%, suggesting investors were reducing exposure across multiple asset classes rather than rotating capital into precious metals.

Strategy also returned to the spotlight as Bitcoin traded below the firm’s average acquisition cost. The company’s unrealized losses have climbed above $12.7 billion, renewing debate around corporate Bitcoin treasury strategies.

CryptoQuant chief executive Ki Young Ju pushed back against concerns surrounding Strategy’s position, arguing that long-term whales have been a much larger source of supply.

“Strategy bought over 700K BTC from OG whales and only sold 32 BTC,” Ju wrote, adding that the firm’s purchases helped absorb coins that might otherwise have entered the market.

Bitcoin derivatives and on-chain data suggest capitulation may be nearing

Options positioning around the $60,000 strike has become a major focus for traders. According to Deribit Chief Commercial Officer Jean-David Péquignot, more than $1.2 billion in notional open interest is tied to put options at that level.

A sustained move below $60,000 could force market makers to hedge short gamma exposure by selling spot Bitcoin or futures contracts. Combined with elevated leverage across perpetual futures markets, that process may increase volatility if sellers remain in control.

On-chain metrics, however, are beginning to show conditions often associated with late-stage capitulation.

According to analyst Seth, the percentage of Bitcoin holders in profit has reached a long-term trendline that has coincided with major cycle lows in previous drawdowns. The analyst noted that the depth of those drawdowns has decreased with each cycle and argued that a bottom could be near if historical behavior repeats.

Important metric to look at

The number of $BTC holders in profit hitting this HTF trend line

The drawdown is less every cycle, a clear trend.

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I have shown you this trend before. Bottom should be near here if it follows past cycles.

What do you think about this chart?

If… pic.twitter.com/IpZdBHoiys

— Seth (@seth_fin) June 5, 2026

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Additional data shared by market commentator Scott Melker highlighted growing stress among newer Bitcoin investors.

“$BTC short-term holders are now realizing losses at the biggest level in history. The short-term holder realized profit/loss ratio just hit a new all-time low, deeper than any previous drawdown.”

Melker added that long-term holders now control roughly 5.3 million BTC at a loss, a figure that exceeds post-FTX levels and represents the highest amount of underwater long-term supply since the COVID-era market crash.

Technical breakdown puts $55K support zone in focus

The daily chart shows Bitcoin trading well below the Supertrend indicator, which now sits near $69,700 and acts as immediate resistance. A failed recovery attempt beneath that level has left sellers firmly in control of the short-term trend.

Momentum indicators also remain weak. The MACD line has dropped sharply below the signal line while the histogram continues to expand in negative territory, showing persistent downside momentum after the breakdown from the $72,000-$75,000 range.

The loss of $60,000 leaves the February low near $55,000 as the next major support zone. A decisive break below that area could expose the psychological $50,000 level and trigger another round of liquidation-driven selling.

Bulls would need to reclaim $60,000 quickly to ease immediate pressure. A recovery above the Supertrend resistance near $69,700 would invalidate the current bearish structure and reopen the path toward the $75,000 area. Until then, stronger-than-expected economic data, rising rate-hike expectations, and heavy derivatives positioning remain key risks for Bitcoin.

Gold has lost part of its old safe-haven image as its price action now moves closely with risk assets such as Bitcoin and the S&P 500, according to economist Robin Brooks.

According to Brooks, gold no longer behaves like the traditional hedge investors once expected during periods of market stress. He said the metal now trades as a pro-cyclical, high-beta asset, with its correlation to the S&P 500 rising above 0.50 in recent months.

Gold’s safe-haven role comes under pressure

Brooks said gold historically kept a correlation near zero with the S&P 500, while Bitcoin’s long-term correlation with equities usually stayed below 0.15. During the late 2025 and early 2026 “debasement trade,” Brooks said Bitcoin’s equity correlation climbed as high as 0.55.

The correlation of gold with the S&P 500 is now the same as bitcoin. It used to be that gold was uncorrelated with swings in risk appetite and in the S&P 500, but those days are over. These days gold trades like a high-beta asset. Safe haven no more…https://t.co/QFGBrFMbKS pic.twitter.com/Es1Ir2mO0M

— Robin Brooks (@robin_j_brooks) June 5, 2026

At the same time, gold’s correlation with U.S. equities also increased. Brooks said gold now matches Bitcoin’s correlation with the S&P 500, a setup he described as unusual for an asset long treated as a shelter during geopolitical or economic stress.

The economist said gold now falls with equities when investors reduce exposure to risk. In Brooks’ view, that behavior works against the basic purpose of a safe-haven asset.

Retail demand changed Gold’s market behavior

Brooks linked the change to the sharp gold rally over the past year and the arrival of new retail buyers. He said the price increase mechanically lifted the value of gold on central bank balance sheets, but he rejected the idea that institutions had suddenly rushed into bullion or abandoned the U.S. dollar.

According to Brooks, heavy promotion of the “debasement trade” in late 2025 brought many retail investors into gold. He said these buyers tend to react more quickly to market stress than older bullion holders.

Brooks said he first expected the high equity correlation to fade after corrections pushed short-term traders out of the market. He now believes gold’s trading structure has changed more deeply.

Schiff warns Bitcoin could face another sell-off

Meanwhile, Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff warned that the latest Bitcoin drop could lead to another round of panic selling. Schiff wrote on June 5 that Bitcoin had broken below $60,000 and touched its lowest level since October 2024.

Schiff said the move erased Bitcoin’s gains after Donald Trump’s November 2024 election win. According to Schiff, the rebound above $61,000 came from opportunistic buying rather than a durable recovery.

“If today’s low is taken out, prepare for a Crypto Black Monday,” Schiff said.

Schiff, chief economist and global strategist at Euro Pacific Asset Management, has long argued that gold is a better store of value than Bitcoin. He also founded SchiffGold and became widely known after predicting the 2008 financial crisis.

Bitcoin broke $60K, taking out the low from Feb. 2025. At just below $59,750, Bitcoin was at its lowest since Oct. 2024, wiping out all of its post-Trump-election gains. Bottom fishers sent the price back above $61K. If today’s low is taken out, prepare for a Crypto Black Monday.

— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) June 5, 2026

Standard Chartered keeps bullish Bitcoin view

Standard Chartered offered a different view in a June 4 client note. Geoffrey Kendrick, the bank’s head of digital assets research, called the latest crypto downturn a “painful week” but kept his long-term bullish outlook.

Kendrick said Strategy could restart heavy Bitcoin purchases, as it has done after past sales. He wrote that investors may later view this period as a buying zone if Bitcoin reaches $100,000 by the end of 2026.

Crypto exchange Kraken is giving customers access to the upcoming SpaceX initial public offering through xStocks, a tokenized equities platform, highlighting the growing convergence between crypto infrastructure and traditional capital markets.

Kraken announced Friday that SpaceX will be the first public offering available through xStocks IPO Access, which allows eligible users to participate in the offering through tokenized equity instruments.

To participate, users must have a verified Kraken account on the Kraken mobile app and submit an application for IPO access. The offering is not available through Kraken Pro or the company’s desktop platform.

According to Kraken, IPO Access is available across the European Economic Area (EEA) and more than 110 international markets, though participation is restricted in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom due to regulatory limitations.

Source: Kraken

Eligible users can register interest in purchasing SpaceX shares before the company begins public trading. Investors who receive an allocation will be issued SPCXx, a tokenized representation of SpaceX equity backed 1:1 by the underlying shares. The tokens can be traded 24/7 on Kraken and other participating xStocks platforms.

Related: Kraken’s xStocks tops $25B in volume with more than 80K onchain holders

SpaceX targets $1.8 trillion valuation, record debut

SpaceX is expected to begin trading publicly on June 12, giving investors their first opportunity to own shares in Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite company.

According to Bloomberg, demand for the offering has already exceeded the number of shares available, with SpaceX seeking to raise roughly $75 billion at a valuation of at least $1.8 trillion. If achieved, the listing would be the largest IPO ever, exceeding Saudi Aramco’s $29.4 billion deal in 2019, Bloomberg said.

The company’s growth story is largely tied to Starlink, its satellite internet business, which has become a major source of revenue and profitability.

However, SpaceX’s capital-intensive launch and space exploration operations continue to incur high costs, raising questions about how investors will value the company once it begins trading on the public market.

Source: Lance Roberts

Related: SpaceX reveals larger-than-expected Bitcoin holdings in IPO filing