Bitcoin, XRP, Ethereum dive. Why cryptos are getting bashed again.
January 30, 2026
The Bitcoin price was falling amid a recent selloff in Big Tech stocks and expectations that Kevin Warsh will be appointed the next chair of the Federal Reserve, which is dragging down cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin was down 6.2% to $82,303 Friday, while Ethereum and XRP also tumbled, by 7.4% and 6.7% respectively.
Crypto-linked companies have also been bruised. Robinhood, a cryptocurrency exchange, fell by 0.3% and Coinbase fell by 2.7%.
The downturn was preceded by a big drop in Microsoft stock, which fell 12% Thursday after its latest earnings report hinted at softer growth in its flagship cloud-computing division.
At the same time, there are mounting expectations that Kevin Warsh will be nominated to replace Jerome Powell as head of the U.S. central bank.
As a former Fed board governor, Warsh wasn’t supportive of low interest rates. In turn, the DXY dollar index posted gains of almost 0.5% Friday.
Elevated interest rates typically reduce the appeal of nonyielding assets such as precious metals and cryptocurrencies. Indeed, gold and silver were trading lower Friday.
For now, it seems cryptocurrencies can’t catch a break. Investors will be closely glued to their monitors Friday, when President Donald Trump is expected to announce his new Fed pick.
Write to Alex Kozul-Wright at alexander.kozul-wright@barrons.com
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