The cryptocurrency market delivered another harsh lesson to overleveraged traders this week as bitcoin’s Monday selloff triggered the largest single position liquidation in 24 hours. HTX exchange recorded a forced closure worth $61.5 million in BTC-USDT positions, highlighting the ongoing volatility that continues to shake out speculative bets.
This whale-sized liquidation occurred as bitcoin retreated sharply from weekend highs near $68,600, sliding back to approximately $64,400 within hours. The dramatic reversal erased the cryptocurrency’s weekend gains and sent ripples across derivative markets where highly leveraged positions remain vulnerable to sudden price swings.
Market Sentiment Plunges to Extreme Levels
The selloff pushed the widely watched Crypto Fear and Greed Index back into deeply negative territory, registering a reading of just 5 out of 100. This “extreme fear” level has only appeared three times since the index began tracking market sentiment in 2018, occurring during major market stress periods in August 2019, June 2022, and earlier this month when bitcoin briefly touched $60,000.
According to CoinMarketCap data, the broader liquidation wave swept across multiple exchanges, affecting over 137,000 traders and wiping out $467.64 million in total positions. Long positions bore the brunt of the damage, accounting for approximately $434 million or 93% of all liquidations, demonstrating how many traders remained positioned for upside despite recent market weakness.
Bitcoin futures alone saw $213.62 million in forced closures, while ethereum positions contributed another $113.89 million to the carnage. Even smaller altcoins felt the pressure, with solana recording $19.89 million in liquidations and the relatively new HYPE token from Hyperliquid adding $10.72 million to the total.
Short-Term Holders Continue Capitulating
On-chain analytics firm Glassnode reported that recent bitcoin buyers are still experiencing significant losses, with the seven-day moving average for net realized losses hovering around $500 million per day. This metric indicates that investors who purchased bitcoin within recent weeks are continuing to sell at losses, contributing to the overall market pressure.
The data provider noted that while the intensity of selling has moderated compared to earlier in February, the broader market structure still shows signs of stress. “The broader regime still signals a market under pressure,” Glassnode stated, “with participants in the base formation phase continuing to capitulate.”
Technical Picture Remains Challenging
Bitcoin now trades roughly 48% below its October all-time high of $126,000, a stark reminder of how quickly crypto markets can reverse course. The leading cryptocurrency also sits about 5.5% below its previous cycle peak of $69,000 from 2021, a level that once represented strong resistance but now serves as a psychological support zone.
The repeated pattern of leveraged long positions getting liquidated during brief rallies suggests that speculative excess remains in the system. Traders appear to be consistently reloading bullish bets during any sign of recovery, only to face forced selling when market conditions deteriorate.
According to SEC filings and exchange data, institutional participation in crypto derivatives has grown substantially over the past year, but retail speculation continues to drive much of the volatility in futures markets. The concentration of the HTX liquidation suggests it may have originated from a whale trader or fund position rather than typical retail margin calls.
Broader Market Implications
The latest liquidation event underscores the ongoing challenges facing crypto markets as they attempt to establish a sustainable base after the significant corrections from late 2024 peaks. While spot bitcoin ETFs have attracted substantial institutional interest, the derivatives markets continue to experience periodic cleansing events that wipe out speculative positions.
Market analysts point to the cyclical nature of these liquidation waves as both a source of ongoing volatility and a necessary mechanism for removing excess leverage from the system. Each major selloff tends to reduce speculative positioning temporarily, but new leveraged bets typically accumulate during subsequent recovery attempts.
The current market structure suggests that bitcoin may need to consolidate at lower levels for an extended period before building the foundation for a sustained upward move. The persistent pattern of failed rallies and subsequent liquidations indicates that speculative interest remains high despite the challenging price action.
Trading volumes across major exchanges remain elevated during these volatile periods, with Bloomberg reporting increased activity in both spot and futures markets. However, the dominance of forced selling over organic buying interest continues to weigh on price discovery mechanisms.
As the crypto market navigates this period of heightened volatility, the focus remains on whether institutional demand can offset the ongoing speculation and leverage-driven selling pressure that continues to create these dramatic liquidation events.
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