Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies came under intense selling pressure, as concerns over a tighter global regulatory atmosphere chopped billions from the crypto markets.
Bitcoin BTCUSD, +2.26% was most recently changing hands below the $9,000 level at $8,742, down nearly 13%, according to research and news site CoinDesk.com. Bitcoin’s spot price briefly fell below $8,000 to a low of about $7,700.
Elsewhere in the virtual-currency universe, Ether coins on the Ethereum blockchain sank 15% to $880, Ripple coins tumbled 13% to 85 cents, and Litecoin slid 11% to $128, according to CoinDesk.