Markets face volatile week ahead as Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, S&P 500, and the Dow Jones crash abruptly

The markets are getting smashed across the board this week after Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, the S&P 500, and the Dow Jones all dropped hard in the same breath.

The crash followed a violent sell-off in U.S. equities tied directly to President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs, which kicked in just days ago. Investors are now watching a pileup of pain unfold in both crypto and traditional markets at the same time, as volatility takes over and financial systems crack under pressure.

Bitcoin fell below the $78,000 mark on Sunday night, losing nearly 5% of its value in 24 hours and landing at $77,673, according to data from CoinGecko. The OG crypto had held above $80,000 almost all year—besides a few quick dips—but the new drop slams it 39% below its January all-time high.

Liquidations wreck crypto after overnight collapse

The fall in Bitcoin wasn’t isolated. Ethereum has dropped below $1,600 and Solana has plunged by 12% overnight, while XRP dropped by 8.6%, triggering panic across exchanges. The crash wiped out leveraged long positions and kicked off forced sell-offs.

In just 24 hours, Bitcoin alone saw over $181 million in long liquidations, with CoinGlass data showing that Ether also got hit with $188 million in forced closures. Traders who were betting on upward moves got wiped when prices turned the other direction fast.

While crypto burned, the pressure on U.S. stock futures increased too. On Sunday evening, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,531 points, a 4% decline, ahead of what looks like another brutal Monday session.

S&P 500 futures were also down 4%, and the Nasdaq-100 mirrored the drop with its own 4% loss. All of this follows two days of absolute chaos on Wall Street as the White House confirmed the tariffs would stay in place, no matter the fallout.

Stock heat map. Source: TradingView

The collapse at the end of last week wasn’t a blip—it was historic. The Dow Jones saw back-to-back losses of over 1,500 points for the first time in U.S. history, including a 2,231-point plunge on Friday.

The S&P 500 had its worst day since the COVID meltdown in March 2020, falling 6% in a single day. It lost 10% over two days, which dragged it more than 17% below its February peak and close to full bear market territory.

By contrast, the Nasdaq Composite did enter a bear market on Friday, dropping 22% from its high after losing nearly 6% on both Thursday and Friday.

Investors hoping for good news over the weekend got none. There were no signs of a pullback or delay on the tariff rules, which are scheduled to take full effect by April 9. Instead, the administration doubled down on the aggressive trade policy.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that position in an interview with CBS News on Sunday, saying, “The tariffs are coming… They are definitely going to stay in place for days and weeks.” He offered no flexibility and made no promise of relief, even after the historic collapse in financial markets.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on NBC News, where he revealed that more than 50 countries had already approached the U.S. government to discuss the new trade measures. But Bessent wasn’t optimistic. He warned, “They’ve been bad actors for a long time, and it’s not the kind of thing you can negotiate away in days or weeks.” In other words, negotiations are happening, but nothing’s changing anytime soon.

Right now, the markets are reacting exactly how you’d expect—like a building collapsing in slow motion. Every trader who was holding high hopes for a quick rebound just got hit with the reality that Washington isn’t backing down.

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