Bitcoin Plunges Below $90K After U.S. Strikes in Venezuela: What’s the Next Move for BTC?
Bitcoin's $90,000 support just vanished into thin air. The trigger? A geopolitical shockwave from U.S. military action in Venezuela. The crypto market's 'digital gold' narrative just got a brutal stress test.
Geopolitics Meets Crypto Markets
When traditional finance panics, Bitcoin's supposed to shine. Not this time. The sudden sell-off shows how even decentralized assets can't escape the gravitational pull of real-world conflict. It's a stark reminder that 'uncorrelated' is often a fair-weather promise.
Where Does BTC Go From Here?
The charts are flashing red, but the fundamentals haven't changed. Network hash rate remains near all-time highs. Institutional wallets aren't dumping en masse. This looks like a leveraged speculator flush-out—painful, but potentially healthy long-term. The key level to watch now is the $85,000 zone, last month's consolidation floor.
Meanwhile, traditional finance pundits are already smugly declaring this proves crypto's instability. Funny, they never mention that the same geopolitical risks they cite are precisely why Bitcoin was invented. A little selective memory goes a long way on Wall Street.
Bitcoin's next move hinges on whether this is a brief panic or the start of a deeper correction. One thing's certain: the 'Venezuela dip' will separate the true believers from the tourists. Time to see if the hodl meme has real conviction behind it.
Bitcoin’s recovery has unfortunately hit another wall.
Just as the market was trying to build momentum above $90,000, reports of explosions in Venezuela sent Bitcoin sharply lower. Within an hour, BTC fell from its recent peak near $91,000 to below $90,000, once again showing how fast geopolitical headlines can shake crypto markets.
Explosions Reported in Caracas
Early Saturday morning, loud explosions were heard across.
Multiple secondary explosions seen, while flames and smoke emanate from the Port of Caracas in Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/R8OJ4CsdHO
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026The timing comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. U.S. President Donald TRUMP hasand has openly raised the possibility of ground strikes. Earlier this week, Trump said the U.S. had “” used by alleged Venezuelan drug boats.
While there is still no official confirmation linking the Caracas explosions to U.S. action, BBC reported that the Trump administration was aware of the incident. CNN added that, and journalists reported hearing aircraft sounds.
Bitcoin Drops Below $90K
The crypto market reacted immediately.
Bitcoin, which was trading around, dropped by more thanafter the reports surfaced. The price has slid to around, wiping out gains from the previous day and stopping the ongoing recovery attempt.
The move highlights a familiar trend. During periods of geopolitical tension, bitcoin has shown increased volatility, often reacting like a risk-sensitive asset rather than a standalone hedge.
Here We Go Again…
Frustration quickly surfaced across the crypto community.
Ash Crypto posted, “US is attacking Venezuela. And it’s happening exactly when crypto is trying to recover. F*cking tired of this shit now.”
Crypto Rover echoed the sentiment, saying, “We were finally starting to recover. This is incredibly frustrating.”
Bitcoin drops under $90,000 as US airstrikes hit Venezuela.
We were finally starting to recover.
This is incredibly frustrating. pic.twitter.com/OHdV2zW7Nv
A Familiar Pattern Returns
Throughout 2025, Bitcoin repeatedly reacted to geopolitical and macro events – from the U.S. government shutdown to U.S.-China trade tensions and Middle East conflicts.
Now, just three days into 2026, Bitcoin appears to be responding to global risk once again.
How much further Bitcoin falls remains to be seen.