Crypto Liquidations Skyrocket: Uncovering the Biggest Losers in Bitcoin and Ethereum

Key Points

• Unprecedented levels of liquidations are being experienced in the Bitcoin and Ethereum markets.
• The Bybit hack has exacerbated Ethereum’s liquidity issues, affecting both short and long positions.

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) traders are currently dealing with a surge in liquidations.

Both short and long positions are being forcibly closed at a rate that has never been seen before.

Understanding the Liquidation Surge

Traders are being pushed out of their positions due to a lack of sufficient margin, triggering a domino effect of liquidations.

As market volatility increases, this creates concerns about the stability of the market and the pressures faced by traders.

Liquidations have increased as traders are faced with aggressive margin calls due to increased volatility.

The volume of Ethereum’s liquidations has grown, with billions in forced closures over the last three days.

Impact of Market Trends and Bybit Hack

While the Bybit hack has worsened Ethereum’s turbulence, the overall market leverage remains a significant factor.

Open interest in Ethereum derivatives has decreased as positions have been forcibly closed, causing further price fluctuations.

Bitcoin’s liquidation levels seem to reflect a broader deleveraging cycle, with short positions taking the majority of the impact before longs were rapidly liquidated near $100k.

This cycle indicates a buildup of excessive leverage, where cascading liquidations further fuel price instability.

The Bybit hack, which led to the theft of $1.4 billion in ETH and stETH, has had a significant impact on the community.

While the immediate concern is the recovery of funds, the broader impact is being felt in Ethereum’s liquidity and price action.

The rapid offloading of stolen Ethereum via decentralized exchanges by the hacker has increased sell pressure, leading to increased volatility and forcing traders out of leveraged positions.

This liquidity shock, combined with cascading liquidations, could have triggered sharp price declines and increased market uncertainty.

Open interest in Ethereum Futures, which was around $23 billion on 15 February, has seen fluctuations but remains high as traders adjust their positions.

Ethereum’s price has fluctuated between approximately $2,727 and $2,800, reflecting a mixture of cautious optimism and risk management.

The shifts in Open Interest are an indication that traders are dynamically responding to market conditions.

However, lingering doubts will continue to affect sentiment in the near term.