Crypto liquidations surge as Bitcoin, Ethereum plunge

Crypto markets saw liquidations up to $871M in a day, with Bitcoin and Ethereum longs hit hardest. Volatility, policy news, and price drops triggered these forced closures.

Global cryptocurrency markets have recently faced a wave of sharp liquidations, with forced closures of futures contracts reaching significant levels. On March 15, 2025, around $150 million in futures contracts were liquidated within an hour, contributing to a 24-hour total exceeding $250 million, mainly affecting Bitcoin and Ethereum positions. Another major event saw liquidations surge to $871 million in a single day, impacting nearly 249,000 traders due to volatility linked to US tariff policy announcements. Over a recent weekend, Bitcoin's price dropped from $95,400 to $92,200 in just 90 minutes, resulting in $770 million in long positions being liquidated. Ethereum set a new record for daily transactions and added $9 billion to its market cap, while Solana announced plans for gasless transactions. In another 24-hour period, liquidations surpassed $864 million, with long positions accounting for $782 million of the losses as Bitcoin and Ethereum prices fell. These events underscore the persistent volatility and risk in crypto derivatives markets, highlighting the importance of leverage and risk management.