Bitcoin Drops to $81,400 as Asian Chip Stocks Tumble

Bitcoin drops — Bitcoin’s price fell to around $81,400 on Tuesday, declining 0.5% amid a sharp sell-off in Asian semiconductor stocks and bearish sentiment among options traders.

The drop occurred despite a significant $526.6 million inflow into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs on Monday, the largest single-day inflow in nearly a month. The price movement appeared more closely tied to traditional equity markets, particularly in Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi index fell 3.73% to its lowest close since April 7, led by declines in major chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics. The sell-off was driven by renewed investor concerns over the sustainability of artificial intelligence-related spending.

In crypto derivatives markets, traders sought downside protection. On the Deribit exchange, put options outnumbered call options by more than two to one, indicating a bearish skew across various expiry dates. CoinDesk’s DeFi index also fell 1.2% on the day.