Crypto Market Today: Global Markets Hit by ‘Black Friday’ Rout as Bitcoin Plunges to $82K and Nearly 390,000 Traders Liquidated

Global financial markets faced a brutal “Black Friday” sell-off on Friday, with cryptocurrency traders suffering some of the steepest losses. Bitcoin fell to $82,000, triggering one of the largest liquidation events of the year and wiping billions from digital asset valuations.According to ChainCatcher, more than 389,052 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with total liquidation losses exceeding $1.9 billion. The global crypto market capitalization sank below $3 trillion, falling 8.5% in a single day.Global Stocks Fall Sharply as Risk-Off Sentiment SpreadsThe panic wasn’t limited to digital assets. Risk aversion hit equities worldwide:United StatesU.S. stocks opened higher but closed sharply lower, reversing early gains.EuropeMajor European benchmarks opened lower and extended declines through the session.AsiaKOSPI (South Korea): closed down 3.78%, with a 3.95% weekly loss.Nikkei 225 (Japan): fell 2.40%, down 3.48% for the week.China A-shares: dropped 2%, breaking below the 3,900 level on heavy turnover.Hong Kong indices: all hit new multi-month lows, with the Hang Seng Index down 2.38%.The synchronized declines reflect growing global concerns about tightening liquidity, recession risks, and mixed macroeconomic signals from the U.S. and Asia.Even Safe-Haven Assets Are Selling OffIn an unusual turn, traditional safe-haven assets also fell:Spot gold: down 1.2% to $4,028.23/ozSpot silver: down 3%+ to $49.12/ozThe drop suggests widespread forced deleveraging and cash-raising across asset classes — a pattern typical during systemic risk events.A Broad-Based MeltdownFriday’s steep declines across cryptocurrencies, equities, and precious metals underscore rising global fragility. With markets simultaneously selling off risk assets and safe havens, analysts warn that liquidity stress, macro uncertainty, and tightening financial conditions are amplifying volatility.Bitcoin’s plunge to $82,000 — and nearly 390,000 liquidated positions — highlights how quickly leverage unwound across the crypto ecosystem.