Bitcoin, Ethereum liquidations soar – Who’s losing the most?

• Bitcoin and Ethereum liquidations hit unprecedented levels due to market volatility
• Bybit hack intensified Ethereum’s liquidity issues, affecting both short and long positions.

Bitcoin [BTC] and Ethereum [ETH] traders are feeling the heat right now. Liquidations are skyrocketing, with both short and long positions being forcibly closed at an unprecedented rate. Now, the recent surge in Ethereum liquidations can be partly linked to the Bybit hacker case, but broader market trends suggest a larger issue in play.

Traders are being forced out of positions due to insufficient margin, triggering a chain reaction of liquidations. As volatility rises, these events are raising concerns about market stability and the pressures on traders.

Addressing the rise in liquidations

Liquidations have surged as traders face aggressive margin calls amid heightened volatility. Ethereum’s liquidation volume has intensified, with billions in forced closures over the past 72 hours. While the Bybit hacker incident has exacerbated ETH’s turbulence, broader market leverage remains a key driver.

In fact, Open interest in ETH derivatives has declined as positions forcefully closed – Fueling further price swings.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s liquidation levels seemed to reflect a broader deleveraging cycle, with short positions taking the brunt of the impact before longs were rapidly liquidated near $100k. This cycle indicates excessive leverage buildup, where cascading liquidations further fuel price instability.

As Bitcoin and Ethereum test key resistance and support levels, market watchers are bracing for further volatility in an increasingly unstable derivatives market.

Bitcoin and Ethereum – What the data says

The liquidation heatmaps for ETH and BTC highlighted the critical price zones where traders were wiped out.

ETH saw a significant cluster of liquidations between $2,700 and $2,850, with peak liquidation levels exceeding $400 million. The bulk of liquidations were concentrated near the resistance level – Highlighting a liquidity grab before a price reversal.

Bitcoin’s heatmap revealed a more prolonged liquidation event, with over $1 billion in liquidations near $100k.

Shorts were aggressively cleared at lower price levels, followed by a sharp wave of long liquidations. The liquidation map confirmed heavy positioning at $92k-$96k, indicating high market sensitivity to leverage.

Impact of the Bybit hacker case

The Bybit hack, which resulted in $1.4 billion in stolen ETH and stETH, has shocked the community. While the immediate concern is fund recovery, the broader impact is being felt by Ethereum’s liquidity and price action.

The hacker’s rapid offloading of stolen ETH via decentralized exchanges amplified sell pressure, exacerbating volatility and forcing traders out of leveraged positions. This liquidity shock, combined with cascading liquidations, could have triggered sharp price declines and heightened market uncertainty.

Open interest in ETH Futures, which hovered around $23 billion on 15 February, has seen fluctuations. However, they remain elevated as traders adjust their positions.

Meanwhile, ETH’s price has moved between approximately $2,727 and $2,800, reflecting a mix of cautious optimism and risk management. The shifts in Open Interest are a sign that traders are responding dynamically to market conditions. However, lingering doubts will continue to weigh on sentiment in the near term.