Stock Trader’s Crypto Panic: Sell BTC/ETH at 70% Peak or HODL the Dip?

Hey Redditors, I’m feeling pretty confused right now and could really use your collective wisdom: should I sell my Bitcoin and Ethereum, or should I hold tight through this volatility? I’ve been successfully trading stocks and options for over 20 years; everything from forex to commodities….but I finally decided to dip my toes into crypto for the first time late last year, thinking it was the next big diversification play for me.

Here’s the deal: I bought in at Bitcoin around $82k USD and grabbed ETH at roughly $3,800 each. Fast forward to now in early February 2026, BTC’s hovering around $71k after some wild swings (dipped below $61k recently, now rebounding a bit), and ETH is sitting lower too amid all the “crypto winter” chatter, whale sells, ETF flows, and macro noise like Fed uncertainty and seasonal sell-offs. I’m down on paper, which stings after decades of stock market discipline, but I’ve seen cycles before; just not ones this intense!

As a newbie to this space (stocks felt way more predictable), I’m torn: Cut losses and rotate back to traditional markets? HODL for the long-term upside with institutional adoption and potential QE boosts? Dollar-cost average down? Or maybe sell half and let the rest ride? What’s worked for you in similar spots, especially fellow stock vets who’ve crossed over? Thanks a ton!