Bitcoin hits $84K resistance as Korean tech rout deepens KOSPI losses

Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded toward $84,000 on Tuesday as crypto markets skirted fresh losses for South Korean stock markets.

Key points:

• Bitcoin diverged from plummeting Asian tech stocks on Tuesday, rebounding from a low near $81,000.
• Semiconductors led an exodus from South Korea’s KOSPI amid ongoing investors’ nerves over AI and Chinese competition.
• BTC price upside was capped at $84,000 by a wall of resistance on exchange order books.

South Korea’s KOSPI loses 200-day trend line as panic returns

Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD up more than 2.5% on Tuesday, reaching $83,944 on Bitstamp to retrace Monday’s drop.

BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The gains came as a fresh tech sell-off gathered pace on South Korea’s KOSPI Composite Index, which extended its losses for the week to 7.4%. The index fell below its 200-day moving average for the first time since late July.

KOSPI Composite Index one-day chart with 200-day moving average. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Semiconductor stocks came under particular pressure, with SK Hynix closing more than 10% lower, while the rout compounded existing problems for Samsung after it reported lower-than-expected Q3 earnings last week. Foreign investors sold around 173 trillion won ($129 billion) worth of SK Hynix and Samsung shares since the start of 2026, accounting for the vast majority of year-to-date KOSPI sales.