$736M Liquidated: Bitcoin Seesaw Gets Traders Rekt Both Ways

• The Bitcoin price underwent a wild swing on Wednesday, briefly setting new yearly highs before dropping $5,300.
• This sudden volatility has triggered millions in liquidations across the crypto market.
• Bitcoin’s price swing has impacted other major cryptocurrencies, with some experiencing major drops.

The price of Bitcoin took a wild ride on Wednesday, briefly soaring past $64,000 before experiencing a dramatic 7% drop, wiping out millions of dollars in leveraged trades. This sudden downturn sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency market, impacting other major digital assets.

Short Sellers Face Brunt in Liquidation Event

Earlier in the day, Bitcoin had surged past the significant $60,000 mark, reaching a high of $64,037. However, this momentum quickly dissipated, and the price plummeted to around $59,400. Although it briefly recovered above $61,000, another wave of selling pressure pushed it back down. At the time of writing, Bitcoin has stabilized and is trading at around $63,000.

This rapid price swing proved particularly challenging for leveraged traders. According to data from Coinglass , liquidations across all digital assets within 24 hours totaled a staggering $736 million. 

Notably, 51% of these liquidations were short positions despite a 7% drop, meaning traders who were actually betting on a price decrease suffered the brunt of the losses. Liquidations occur when exchanges close leveraged positions due to insufficient funds, amplifying trader losses.

Wider Crypto Market Affected

This market volatility is reminiscent of the dramatic events of August 2023, when Bitcoin’s plunge to $25,000 triggered a billion-dollar liquidation frenzy across the cryptocurrency space. Both long and short positions were impacted during that event, highlighting the inherent risks of volatile markets.

The repercussions of Wednesday’s price action extended beyond Bitcoin, as other major cryptocurrencies also experienced significant declines. Ethereum (ETH) , Solana (SOL) , XRP , Cardano (ADA) , Dogecoin (DOGE) , and Avalanche (AVAX) all saw drops ranging from 4% to 9% within the hour.

On the Flipside

• Most liquidated positions were short sellers, indicating that some market participants might have been overly confident in a continued price decline.
• Despite the $5,300 drop, Bitcoin’s price is still significantly higher than earlier in the year.

Why This Matters

This dramatic price swing and subsequent liquidations highlight the continued vulnerability of the cryptocurrency market to volatility, even for experienced leveraged traders, and serve as a stark reminder of the potential risks involved in such investments.

To learn more about Bitcoin’s recent surge and its biggest monthly rally since December 2020, read here:

Bitcoin Hits $60K as It Closes in on ATH Ahead of Halving

To learn more about the record holdings of Bitcoin ETFs and the impact of nine newly launched Bitcoin ETFs on the market, read here:

Bitcoin ETFs Top 300,000 BTC Holdings in Less Than Two Months