Bitcoin slips in holiday trade as liquidity thins

Key Takeaways:

• Bitcoin trades 24/7, unlike U.S. markets closed on federal holidays.
• Holiday liquidity thins, amplifying volatility and price swings in crypto trading.
• Quieter U.S. institutional flows boost influence of options, momentum, order books.

Bitcoin trades on 24/7 crypto markets even when U.S. banks, offices, and equity exchanges are shut for federal holidays. That structural difference means Bitcoin holiday trading can move independently of traditional market hours.

Holiday sessions often feature thinner U.S. participation, which can magnify price swings as liquidity recedes. As reported by The Economic Times, lower liquidity tends to push volatility higher during closures, raising the risk of outsized intraday moves (economictimes.indiatimes.com).

Institutional spot flows tied to U.S. infrastructure, including ETF channels, are typically quieter when exchanges are closed. According to WalletInvestor Magazine, that lull can leave options positioning, momentum, and order-book dynamics with greater influence than usual (walletinvestor.com).

U.S. stock markets were shut Monday for Presidents Day and reopen Tuesday; during the break, Bitcoin slipped, according to TS2 (ts2.tech). That timing left price discovery largely to offshore trading hours while U.S. desks were inactive.

Bitcoin fell below $70,000 on Monday, extending a multi-week downturn amid interest-rate uncertainty, as per Economies.com (economies.com). The move marked a continuation of pressure observed over recent weeks rather than a standalone shock.

Low-volume conditions also sparked short-term volatility that cleared both long and short positions, as reported by Cointelegraph via TradingView (tradingview.com). Such order-flow “liquidity games” are consistent with low-liquidity volatility episodes seen during prior U.S. holidays.

Some strategists framed the holiday action within seasonal and technical context. “Oversold,” said Jonathan Krinsky, chief technical strategist at BTIG, describing Bitcoin’s setup into the holiday week.

Macro releases could reassert themselves once U.S. markets resume full participation. BeInCrypto reported that four U.S. indicators this week, including Federal Reserve FOMC minutes and PCE inflation, could drive Bitcoin volatility after the holiday (beincrypto.com).

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