Institutional slowdown or macro shock? Experts weigh in on the market dip

The crypto market just survived its most brutal 2025 shakeout — a $1.2 trillion wipeout that sent Bitcoin crashing from its $120K peak down to the $80K range. For anyone with PTSD from 2017 or 2022, this felt like déjà vu. But experts on this week's Byte-Sized Insight say chill — this downturn is different and way less apocalyptic than the headlines scream.

Noelle Acheson — macro analyst and Crypto is Macro Now Substack author — calls this dip 'not a big deal' and crucially 'not systemic.' She says it's a liquidity-driven correction triggered by shifting Fed rate cut expectations.

Acheson points out Bitcoin's supply is fixed and demand is purely sentiment-driven. She also spotted something unprecedented: during this crash, Bitcoin and Ethereum dominance dropped not because money rotated into safer crypto — but because investors fled crypto entirely for non-crypto markets. This is proof crypto is now deeply entangled with macro forces and institutional positioning.

Tim Meggs, CEO and co-founder of Lo:Tech, says this downturn reveals market maturity. Unlike past crashes that triggered instant liquidations and corporate implosions, this drawdown has been 'measured' — reflecting the slower decision cycles of institutional investors now dominating the space.

Meggs tracks real-time signals — volatility, open interest, liquidations, exchange activity — and notes recent stabilization and early signs of renewed positioning. He says corrections aren't just expected — they're healthy: 'Flushing out excess leverage isn’t a bad thing.'

Meanwhile, trader and author Glen Goodman argues the absence of a strong market narrative has amplified the pain. Past cycles rode waves of belief — from 'global currency' to 'digital gold.' Today, crypto lacks that unifying story, making it more vulnerable to tech-stock volatility and macro pressure.

Full episode drops on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Don't sleep on their other shows too.