Bitcoin slips to $81,400 as Asian chip stocks tumble, traders seek downside protection

Bitcoin slipped to around $81,400 on Tuesday, down 0.5% since midnight UTC, even after U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs attracted $526.6 million in their largest daily inflow in nearly a month. South Korea’s Kospi fell 3.73% to its lowest close since April 7 as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics declined, with renewed AI spending worries weighing on chipmakers’ shares. Deribit put options outtraded calls by more than two to one, reflecting traders’ demand for downside protection.