Bitcoin (BTC) fell as low as $80,789.61 on October 22, 2026, per Forbes citing Coinbase data, and Ether (ETH) dropped to about $2,357. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of $635.6 million that day, per Farside Investors. CoinGlass data showed $440.9 million of 24-hour liquidations, $397 million of them longs.
Why did Bitcoin fall on October 22, 2026?
The move followed a sell-off in US equities. The Block reported that the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.6% on Thursday, October 22, its worst session since June, and the S&P 500 fell 1.21%. Meta fell 6.98% and AMD 8.1%. The Block put Bitcoin at $81,387, down 3.4% over 24 hours, as of 9:30 PM ET on October 22, with Ether at $2,388, down 3.5%.
Bitcoin had opened October 22 at $84,024.44, its highest open since October 7, per Yahoo Finance. The same article reported Brent crude above $111 a barrel on the morning of October 22, and tied the early decline to inflation concerns from oil.
Liquidations were mostly longs. The Block cited CoinGlass for $440.9 million in total liquidations over the prior 24 hours, with $397 million from long positions. The figure is a rolling 24-hour window as of the evening of October 22, so it will not match a calendar-day tally.
What did the ETF flows show?
Spot Bitcoin ETFs reversed after two large inflow days. Farside data:
| Date | Net flow (US$ million) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| October 19, 2026 | +526.7 | Farside |
| October 20, 2026 | +23.2 | Farside |
| October 21, 2026 | +524.8 | Farside |
| October 22, 2026 | -635.6 | Farside |
The October 22 outflow was concentrated in the largest funds. Per Farside, BlackRock's IBIT lost $254.1 million, Fidelity's FBTC $217.5 million, Ark's ARKB $109.4 million, Grayscale's GBTC $29.5 million and Bitwise's BITB $27.4 million. Morgan Stanley's MSBT took in $2.3 million. Those six lines sum to the fund total of -$635.6 million.
Adding the October 19 and October 21 inflows gives $1,051.5 million (derived, from the two Farside figures above). Forbes quoted Ryan Myher of Genius saying inflows exceeded $1 billion earlier in the week, which matches. One day of outflows reversed about 60% of that (derived: 635.6 divided by 1,051.5). We covered the October 19 inflow in our post on the $526.7M Bitcoin ETF inflow led by IBIT, and the Ether side in our comparison of Ether and Bitcoin ETF flows in October.
Where analysts disagree
Analysts named different causes, and they split on what the derivatives data says.
Rick Maeda of Laevitas told The Block that crypto is trading as a high-beta tech position and that AI financing, particularly around Meta, was the main driver. Ryan Myher also blamed mixed Tesla and Meta results reviving doubts about AI spending, per Forbes.
Luke Davis of Bull Market Blueprint reads it as an "everything" sell-off, adding higher oil prices, inflation risk and cybersecurity fears to AI spending doubts, per Forbes. Dominick John of Zeus Research pointed to weak tech earnings, geopolitical tension and U.S.-Iran disputes, per The Block.
On positioning, Hugo Renaudin of Ulys said forced closures of leveraged longs turned a normal dip into a sharp one. Iliya Kalchev of Nexo read the data differently: dollar open interest fell roughly in line with price, funding rates were near zero and implied volatility was near its 2026 lows, which he reads as a price-driven move rather than a shift in positioning (Forbes).
Paul Howard of Wincent expects Bitcoin to stay in a range of $80,000 to $85,000, per Forbes. That is his view, not a forecast we endorse.
Why it matters
The sell-off shows Bitcoin trading with equity risk rather than against it. Jeff Anderson of STS Digital called Bitcoin a beta to tech, per Forbes. When the Nasdaq fell 2.6%, ETF holders sold the same day, so the product channel transmitted the equity move into spot demand within one session.
The flow reversal also matters for liquidity. Inflows on October 19 and October 21 were large enough that one outflow day did not erase them, but a repeat would change the picture. Kalchev's point cuts the other way on leverage: if open interest fell with price and funding was near zero, the market was not crowded before the drop.
What to watch
- Whether $80,000 holds as support, and whether ETF flows persist, per Dan Khus of LVRG Research (The Block).
- The S&P Global Flash US Manufacturing PMI, due Friday, October 23, 2026, which Dominick John flagged as a possible driver of growth and rate expectations.
- Farside's flow figure for October 23, 2026, to see if outflows continue.
- Options expiring October 30, 2026: Deribit data cited by Forbes showed the $85,000 and $86,000 calls were the most traded.
- Brent crude, reported above $111 a barrel on October 22 (Yahoo Finance, no time stamp given).
Bottom line
- Bitcoin hit a low of $80,789.61 on October 22, 2026 (Forbes, Coinbase data), and Ether fell to about $2,357.
- US spot Bitcoin ETFs had net outflows of $635.6 million that day, after $524.8 million of inflows on October 21 (Farside).
- CoinGlass showed $440.9 million of 24-hour liquidations, $397 million of them longs (The Block).
- Analysts disagree on whether AI financing, oil and inflation, or leveraged longs mattered most; the Nasdaq fell 2.6% the same day.