According to market observers, the U.S strikes on Venezuela early Saturday, Bitcoin is not expected to go into a major sell-off. The strikes took place around 6 a.m. UTC and lasted about 30 minutes, reports show.
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Michael van de Poppe, founder of MN Trading Capital, wrote on Other analysts shared a similar view, saying dramatic moves usually happen when traders expect worse things to come.
Bitcoin: Market Movements and Liquidations
Based on reports, Bitcoin remained firmly above the $90,000 mark. CoinGecko’s data showed a 1.50% increase, putting the token at $91,320 at the time of publication.
I don’t think we will see a widespread correction based on the attack in Venezuela #Bitcoin.
It is a planned and coordinated attack on Maduro, which has already passed us by.
The chance of more negativity in the markets as a result of this one event is relatively small.
I would assume…
— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) January 3, 2026
CoinGlass figures indicate there was approximately $60 million in Bitcoin holdings liquidated during the previous 24 hours, with approximately $55 million coming from short bets. That kind of forced selling can increase volatility for a short period of time. Still, the broader pattern seemed muted this time.
Historic declines have happened quickly
There have been periods when conflicts pushed prices down rapidly. For example, in June 2025, Bitcoin fell almost 3%, falling from $106,000 to $103,000 within about 90 minutes of the Tehran explosions.
Traders point out that sudden moves often follow when markets fear continued escalation. Here, many market watchers see less chance of follow-up actions that would increase panic.
Federal Debt and Genesis Day amid market noise
Based on reports, the US national debt crossed the $38 trillion mark on Saturday, along with the US National Debt clock making it almost $38.5 at the time. That milestone came as Bitcoin fans marked “Genesis Day,” the anniversary of the first block mined by Satoshi Nakamoto.
Happy Bitcoin Genesis Block Day
— Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) January 3, 2026
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of stablecoin issuer Tether, posted a celebratory message, while Sam Callahan, director of strategy and research at BTC treasury OranjeBTC, echoed the sentiment.
For many in the community, the Genesis block headline remains a symbol of a monetary system with limited supply and not subject to the same pressures as fiat.
Yes, in general the market is really being destroyed if we expect things to get worse after this, which doesn’t seem to be the case. Could see this actually bringing some green to the market as people take this as a sign of strength
— Tyler Hill (@Tylerhill) January 3, 2026
Community response and context
Reports indicate that some in the crypto world were treating events like the strike and rising US debt as separate but related stories. Some traders said the strike could bring “green” to the markets as investors interpret decisive action as a sign of control, a view expressed by analyst Tyler Hill.
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Others, meanwhile, emphasized that the market’s immediate reaction was calm rather than panicky. Social posts and onchain flows were closely watched by hedge funds and retail traders alike.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView