Market Volatility Triggers $124 Million in Liquidations Across 24-Hour Period

MetaMisfit · 2026-01-04T18:18:54+00:00

The cryptocurrency market saw $124 million in liquidations within 24 hours, dominated by short positions. Bitcoin and Ethereum were the main contributors, revealing heightened volatility and risk for traders, especially short sellers.

MetaMisfit

2026-01-04 18:18:54

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The cryptocurrency market experienced significant liquidation activity over the latest 24-hour window, with Coinglass data showing $124 million in combined position closures. This volatility painted a mixed picture for traders, with short positions bearing the brunt of the clearing—accounting for $80.18 million—while long liquidations reached $43.9989 million.

Bitcoin and Ethereum Drive Liquidation Volume

Bitcoin led the clearing activity with $17.9075 million in combined liquidations ($1.8088 million from longs and $16.0987 million from shorts). The skew toward short liquidations suggested sellers faced particular pressure during the period. Ethereum followed as the second-largest contributor, recording $9.9117 million in total liquidations ($2.9261 million from long positions and $6.9856 million from short positions).

Scale of Market Disruption

Across all major trading venues, 106,559 traders found their positions liquidated during the 24-hour window. The most severe single liquidation event took place on Hyperliquid’s BTC-USD trading pair, where one trader lost $3.5385 million—underscoring the leverage risks present even on major platforms.

Market Context

The liquidation surge highlights elevated volatility in the cryptocurrency space, with short sellers particularly vulnerable to sudden price movements. Such high liquidation volumes often precede significant directional shifts in market sentiment.

BTC-1,21%

ETH0,89%

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