Bitcoin Falls Below $75,000 After CLARITY Delay, Fed Hawk Talk

Bitcoin fell below $75,000 on continued selling that extended a nine-day decline, as regulatory delays in Washington, hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve and renewed tensions with Iran pressured markets.

On-chain trackers showed nearly $1 billion in liquidations across the crypto market over 24 hours, with Bitcoin accounting for about $378 million of those liquidations. Most Bitcoin liquidations were long positions, roughly $353 million, according to aggregated market data.

Lawmakers’ schedules and unresolved amendments have increased the odds that the CLARITY Act will face further delay in the Senate. The bill, which would divide regulatory authority for digital assets between two federal agencies, cleared a committee markup earlier in May. Debate over decentralized finance protections and ethics provisions, together with a crowded floor calendar, has reduced the time available for consideration in June and July.

Federal Reserve signals added pressure. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said he can no longer rule out interest rate hikes in 2026, citing persistent inflation and recent energy price moves. Rate futures adjusted to reflect a measurable chance of a quarter-point increase by October, and traders noted rising real yields and a firmer dollar as factors that can weigh on speculative assets.

Geopolitical risk linked to Iran also affected sentiment. Officials discussed the possibility of new strikes if diplomatic options fail, raising concern about potential disruptions to oil supply. Market participants said higher energy costs could feed into inflation and influence central bank decisions.

Technical indicators showed a break below a key level the market had held since April, including a drop under the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement on higher timeframes. One crypto analyst wrote, “$BTC has lost its key level — the gray zone. Any gains now may be rebounds before further declines,” and flagged a possible retest of the $60,000 area if selling persists.

Some investors described the pullback as a buying opportunity. A crypto investor wrote that periods of Fed leadership change tend to coincide with price weakness and urged continued accumulation for long-term positions.

Traders said short-term moves will be sensitive to updates from Congress, Federal Reserve communications and any escalation or de-escalation in the Middle East. Market participants are watching whether Bitcoin can hold critical support levels while liquidity and leveraged positions remain factors that could amplify price swings.