Bitcoin falls to fresh 18-month low

LONDON, June 15 (Reuters): Bitcoin tumbled on Wednesday to a new 18-month low, dragging smaller tokens down with it and deepening a market meltdown sparked by crypto lender Celsius this week freezing customer withdrawals.

The world's largest cryptocurrency fell as much as 7.8 per cent to $20,289, its lowest since December 2020. It has lost around 28 per cent since Friday and more than half of its value this year.

The digital currency sector has been pummelled this week after US crypto lender Celsius froze withdrawals and transfers between accounts, stoking fears of contagion in markets already shaken by the demise of the terraUSD and luna tokens last month.