Crypto Sell-Off Pushes Dogecoin Down 8%, Pepe Nosedives 12% Over Weekend

The weekend saw a broad sell-off across the crypto market as rising U.S.-China trade tensions and large Bitcoin whale sell-offs triggered investor jitters.

Dogecoin (DOGE) was among the hardest hit, tumbling over 8%, while meme token Pepe (PEPE) plunged 12%. Bitcoin dropped more than 2%, slipping below $104,000 and hovering around $103,600 during Saturday’s Asian trading session. The CoinDesk 20 index fell 4.2% in 24 hours.

Other major altcoins like Ether (ETH) declined nearly 4%, with XRP, BNB Chain (BNB), Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL) retreating between 2% and 5%. Cronos Network (CRO) bucked the trend, gaining 12% on no immediate catalyst.

Market analysts pointed to renewed tariff concerns as the main catalyst. “Markets turned red on Friday amid rising worries over U.S.-China tariffs,” said Alex Kuptsikevich, FxPro’s chief market analyst. “President Trump accused China of breaking the recent trade agreement, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged stalled negotiations.”

Derivatives data revealed heightened caution among traders. Bitcoin futures open interest has surged 51% since April, with options volume up 126%, according to Deribit.

Notably, Bitcoin whales shifted gears from accumulation to selling, offloading coins back to exchanges in what appears to be profit-taking.

“Bitcoin’s support near $103K remains intact for now,” Kuptsikevich noted, “but with geopolitical tensions flaring and large holders reducing exposure, volatility is expected to persist.”