Markets Tank as AI Fears Slam Tech, Bitcoin Breaks Critical Support

February 24, 2026: Markets are in full risk-off mode as AI disruption fears trigger violent selling across tech and crypto. Bitcoin crashes through sixty-three thousand dollars, testing critical sixty thousand support with liquidations looming. IBM craters eleven percent after Anthropic reveals Claude can automate COBOL modernization. Crypto markets bleed alongside software stocks as institutional capital flees-Bitcoin ETFs see relentless outflows while stablecoin reserves contract nineteen percent since November. Meanwhile, geopolitical pressure mounts: El Mencho killed in Mexico sparking cartel retaliation, Iran nuclear talks resume under U.S. military threat, Russia escalates nuclear triad development as Ukraine war enters fifth year. Peter Mandelson arrested over Epstein ties. Markets pricing in prolonged uncertainty-tariff volatility, AI workforce displacement, and weakening risk appetite converging into a classic flight to safety. We break down what's driving the selloff, where support levels sit, and what signals could reverse this capitulation.