Crypto Leverage Whipeout: $600M+ In BTC & ETH Longs Liquidated

The cryptocurrency market faced a brutal shake-up as Bitcoin slipped below the $115,000 mark and Ethereum dropped under $4,500, erasing weeks of bullish momentum. What started as a period of cautious optimism quickly turned into a wave of panic selling, leaving bulls struggling to regain control. The sharp correction has pushed the market into a new, uncertain phase where confidence is being tested, and short-term volatility is dominating sentiment.

Top analyst Maartunn highlighted one of the key drivers behind the downturn: an overleveraged derivatives market. In the last 24 hours alone, the crypto market witnessed $597 million in BTC and ETH long liquidations, marking one of the heaviest waves of forced selling in recent months. This liquidation wipeout serves as a harsh reminder to tradersof the risks of excessive leverage in a market that can turn abruptly.

The selloff also underscores the fragile balance between bullish enthusiasm and macroeconomic uncertainty. With central banks recalibrating policy and liquidity conditions tightening, crypto faces a complex environment. As prices test lower support levels, the coming days will reveal whether this correction is a temporary shakeout or the beginning of a deeper phase of market revaluation.

According to Maartunn, the past 24 hours delivered one of the harshest blows to overleveraged traders this year. Data shows that $189 million in Bitcoin longs were liquidated, alongside an even larger $408 million in Ethereum longs, bringing the total wiped out positions close to $600 million. This wave of liquidations happened within hours, highlighting just how fragile sentiment can be when leverage builds up across major assets.

The sudden sell-off sent shockwaves through the market, forcing bulls to retreat as Bitcoin slipped under the $115K level and Ethereum dropped below $4,500. Traders who had built aggressive long positions in anticipation of continued upside quickly found themselves on the losing side, as cascading liquidations amplified the decline. Such events are not uncommon in crypto, but the size and speed of this move have left investors reassessing the short-term landscape.

Now, speculation is heating up about what comes next. Some analysts argue this was nothing more than a leverage reset, a necessary purge to clear excessive speculation and allow the market to build a healthier foundation for the next leg upward. Others are less optimistic, viewing the event as a potential trigger for a corrective stage, where broader selling pressure could drag prices lower before any recovery.

What’s clear is that the market has entered a new phase of uncertainty. Investors are watching closely for whether fresh demand steps in to stabilize prices, or if further selling pressure forces a deeper pullback. Until clarity emerges, volatility is likely to dominate.

The total cryptocurrency market cap has experienced a sharp pullback, currently sitting around $3.83 trillion after a 3.3% daily decline. The chart highlights the rejection near the $4 trillion mark, a key psychological resistance level that has repeatedly capped upward moves in recent weeks. Despite this setback, the market remains well above its medium-term supports, suggesting the broader uptrend is still intact.

Looking at the moving averages, the 50-day SMA (~$3.87T) is being tested, and a decisive close below could open the door to further downside toward the 100-day SMA (~$3.68T). However, as long as the market holds above this zone, the bullish structure remains valid. The 200-day SMA (~$3.31T) continues to provide a strong foundation for the longer-term trend, showing that the bull market context remains strong.

This recent drop reflects the heavy liquidations across BTC and ETH longs, which have rippled through altcoins, increasing volatility across the board. If the market stabilizes above $3.8T, it could set the stage for another attempt at breaking $4T. Conversely, a deeper breakdown below $3.7T may shift momentum, signaling a potential corrective phase in the short term.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView