Crypto falls as Hantavirus fears and $252.8M long liquidations
Total crypto market cap fell to $2.62T, down 4.14% from May 6, as hantavirus-linked passenger exposures and $252.78M in long liquidations pushed Bitcoin under $80,000.
On Friday, the total crypto market capitalization fell to $2.62 trillion, down 4.14% from its May 6 peak of $2.72 trillion. Bitcoin slipped below $80,000, trading near $79,630, and privacy coin Monero reversed after a failed breakout.
Health authorities are tracking passengers exposed on the MV Hondius cruise ship following a confirmed hantavirus case; officials in more than a dozen countries are monitoring potential exposures.
Liquidation-tracking platforms recorded $252.78 million in long liquidations over 24 hours, with leveraged Bitcoin long positions accounting for about $108.58 million of that total.
Coinbase reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $1.41 billion, a 31% decline year over year, and a net loss of $394.1 million amid lower trading volumes.
Market technicals show immediate support for total crypto capitalization at $2.60 trillion; a break below that level would expose $2.53 trillion and $2.47 trillion. For Bitcoin, analysts identify $82,799 as a key recovery level; a daily close below $73,811 would open technical targets at $68,251 and $59,263.
Monero traded near $388, down about 6% on the day and roughly 11% below its May 6 high of $437. The token reversed after a cup-and-handle pattern cleared the neckline and then failed to hold, a pattern traders describe as a bull trap. The 0.236 Fibonacci retracement near $417 is the first recovery level cited; reclaiming $437 would reopen upside toward $464, while a sustained move below $387 could extend consolidation.
On-chain data showed selective accumulation. Wallets holding between 100,000 and 10 million Chainlink tokens added 32.93 million LINK over the past month, a 7.7% increase that brought holdings to an all-time high.
In the AI infrastructure sector, OpenAI has not closed roughly $18 billion in financing tied to a custom-chip partnership with Broadcom. The financing shortfall occurred alongside recent shifts in risk appetite among some investors who allocate to both crypto and AI-related assets.
Total liquidations, concentrated losses in leveraged positions and mixed on-chain flows left market participants watching key price levels for signs of stabilization.
