The cryptocurrency market is no longer just "facing a challenge"—it is in the midst of a high-velocity correction. Since the late 2025 peaks, the narrative has shifted from institutional adoption to survival. With Bitcoin now plummeting to $63,473, the "Big Short" warnings from Michael Burry regarding a market "death spiral" are looking less like hyperbole and more like a roadmap.
Looking at the recent BTC-USD price action, the technical picture appears increasingly grim. After hitting an all-time high of $126,000 in October 2025, Bitcoin has lost nearly 40% of its value.
BTC/USD 2H - TradingView
Michael Burry, who famously predicted the 2008 housing bubble, has recently taken to his Substack to criticize Bitcoin’s fundamental value. He argues that Bitcoin has failed as a "debasement hedge" or "digital gold," noting that its correlation with precious metals has caused a ripple effect where gold and silver are also being liquidated to cover crypto losses.
Burry’s core argument for a "crash to zero" revolves around the lack of an organic use case. He suggests that if institutional inflows via ETFs dry up—which they have, with over $500 million in outflows in late January 2026—the "speculative bubble" will burst entirely.
Burry isn't the only high-profile skeptic. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan, has long maintained that Bitcoin's value is essentially zero. Taleb’s argument is based on the "absorbing barrier" theory: if there is even a small probability that an asset with no dividend yield can hit zero, its present value should be zero today.
Furthermore, skeptics point to:
While the bearish case is loud, many experts argue that a crash to zero is virtually impossible due to the decentralized nature of the network. Even if institutional players exit, a core group of "HODLers" and global users in emerging markets provide a permanent floor of demand.
Moreover, the hardware wallet industry and self-custody movements ensure that the supply remains distributed and out of the reach of centralized "death spirals." As long as there are two people willing to trade BTC for a loaf of bread or another currency, the price is non-zero.
The market is currently in a state of "extreme fear," with the Fear & Greed index hovering around 15. While Michael Burry's warnings about institutional liquidations are a significant risk, Bitcoin has survived 80%+ drawdowns multiple times in its history. Investors should keep a close eye on the $68,000 support level and consider using a top crypto exchange to manage their risk effectively.


