Bitcoin Hashrate Crashes 60% as Winter Storms Force Miner Shutdowns
**Severe winter storms in the U.S. caused Bitcoin's hashrate to plummet 40-60%** as industrial miners powered down operations to help stabilize the energy grid during peak demand.
**Key developments:**
- Over 182,000 traders faced forced liquidations, erasing $1.08 billion in 24 hours
- Kevin Warsh's nomination as Fed Chair strengthened the USD and pressured digital assets lower
- Bitcoin dropped to $75,000 before recovering to high-70k range
- ETH fell below $2,900 support level
- Fear & Greed Index hit 24 (Extreme Fear), matching FTX collapse levels
**Market context:**
- U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.72B in net outflows over 5 days
- Institutional capital rotating to gold, which reached record highs above $5,000
- Total crypto market cap declined roughly 67% by late January
The combination of infrastructure stress, macro headwinds, and energy grid constraints created a perfect storm for crypto markets. Despite extreme fear readings, historical patterns suggest such conditions often precede strong rebounds.
