Bitcoin fell sharply on Thursday, touching a 2026 low of $84,300. The drop came as investors reacted to a sudden reversal in gold prices and heavy selling in US technology stocks.

The fall gathered pace during the US morning trade. Bitcoin lost nearly $3,000 in just a few hours after trading above $88,000 earlier in the day. Over the past 24 hours, the cryptocurrency was down about 4.5 percent, marking its weakest level since mid-December.

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The sell-off happened alongside dramatic moves in gold. Prices had surged to a record high of $5,600 per ounce before plunging almost 10 percent within minutes to below $5,200. Before Sunday night, gold had never crossed the $5,000 level.

Silver also saw strong volatility, dropping from $121 per ounce to around $108, reflecting broader uncertainty across commodity markets.

Equity markets faced pressure as well. Microsoft shares fell more than 11 percent after the company released its fourth-quarter earnings report. The sharp drop dragged down technology stocks overall.

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As a result, the Nasdaq index slipped by about 1.5 percent, adding to the cautious mood across global markets.