Bitcoin drops below $82,000 after Tesla cuts capex, AI worries hit markets

Briefing by News4U · First published 2026-10-22 20:20:38 UTC

Bitcoin fell nearly 3% to under $82,000 after Tesla reported lower-than-expected Q3 capex, reviving AI spending doubts and dragging equities lower in Asia.

Bitcoin reversed a late-Wednesday surge toward $85,000 and fell nearly 3% to below $82,000 on Thursday after Tesla reported Q3 revenue of $28.05 billion and capital expenditure of $4.73 billion, below the $7.96 billion forecast. The slide triggered about $431 million in liquidations over 24 hours, with $210 million of long positions closed in the past 12 hours. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Asian equities fell sharply: South Korea’s Kospi dropped 3.5%, China’s CSI 300 fell 1.7% and entered a bear market, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost more than 3%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 2.7%. Nasdaq 100 futures fell 1.32% and S&P 500 futures 0.66%. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Sources

1. Bitcoin gives back its run at $85,000 as Tesla and Meta fail to calm AI nerves

   CoinDesk · 2026-10-22 03:51:34 UTC · Full text

2. Live updates: Bitcoin slumps below $82,000 as markets go risk off on AI selloff, oil surge

   CoinDesk · 2026-10-22 09:54:26 UTC · Full text

3. Bitcoin corrects below $82K after Tesla Q3 results, KOSPI falls

   Cointelegraph · 2026-10-22 10:38:51 UTC · Full text

4. Bitcoin slides below $82,000 as AI doubts return, with DeFi tokens leading declines

   CoinDesk · 2026-10-22 10:50:04 UTC · Full text

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