Categories: Bitcoin Latest News

Short Traders Lose $82M as Bitcoin Bounces to $43K

Futures traders betting on a downside in the crypto markets lost over $82 million in the past 24 hours as the broader market staged a brief recovery.

A little over $25 million of the losses came from bitcoin-tracked futures, according to Coinglass data. Nearly 64% of all future traders were betting on falling prices, the data shows.

A bit over $45 million worth of longs were liquidated. Liquidations occur when an exchange forcefully closes a trader’s leveraged position as a safety mechanism due to a partial or total loss of the trader’s initial margin. This happens primarily in futures trading, which only tracks asset prices, as opposed to spot trading, where traders own the actual assets.

Bitcoin rose to $43,000 during Asian hours on Wednesday, while major altcoins surged as high as 19% at the time of writing. The jump came soon after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the agency will combat the current high inflation environment, signaling that the central bank may reduce its balance sheet at a faster pace this year.

Some crypto traders and investors view bitcoin as a hedge against inflation while others consider it a risk asset like stocks, which react to tightened monetary policy resulting from high inflation, as reported.

Tuesday’s sudden move caught traders unaware. Bitcoin-linked futures on crypto exchange Binance saw traders lose $15 million in the past 24 hours, with OKEx following closely behind with $11 million in liquidations. Some 60% of all bitcoin traders were short on the two exchanges.

Losses were not limited to bitcoin futures. Ether traders saw $31 million across long and short positions, while altcoin futures linked to Near and Dogecoin saw nearly $6 million in liquidations each.

Over 40,700 trades were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with overall losses crossing $124 million at the time of writing.

Read MoreFeedzy

Futures traders betting on a downside in the crypto markets lost over $82 million in the past 24 hours as the broader market staged a brief recovery.

A little over $25 million of the losses came from bitcoin-tracked futures, according to Coinglass data. Nearly 64% of all future traders were betting on falling prices, the data shows.

A bit over $45 million worth of longs were liquidated. Liquidations occur when an exchange forcefully closes a trader’s leveraged position as a safety mechanism due to a partial or total loss of the trader’s initial margin. This happens primarily in futures trading, which only tracks asset prices, as opposed to spot trading, where traders own the actual assets.

Bitcoin rose to $43,000 during Asian hours on Wednesday, while major altcoins surged as high as 19% at the time of writing. The jump came soon after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the agency will combat the current high inflation environment, signaling that the central bank may reduce its balance sheet at a faster pace this year.

Bitcoin prices spiked after comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. (TradingView)

Some crypto traders and investors view bitcoin as a hedge against inflation while others consider it a risk asset like stocks, which react to tightened monetary policy resulting from high inflation, as reported.

Tuesday’s sudden move caught traders unaware. Bitcoin-linked futures on crypto exchange Binance saw traders lose $15 million in the past 24 hours, with OKEx following closely behind with $11 million in liquidations. Some 60% of all bitcoin traders were short on the two exchanges.

Futures traders betting on a downside in bitcoin lost $82 million over the past 24 hours. (Coinglass)

Losses were not limited to bitcoin futures. Ether traders saw $31 million across long and short positions, while altcoin futures linked to Near and Dogecoin saw nearly $6 million in liquidations each.

Over 40,700 trades were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with overall losses crossing $124 million at the time of writing.

DISCLOSURE

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.

Recent Posts

Bitcoin Macro Retracement Meets Mid-Range Battle – Will Bulls Reclaim Momentum?

Bitcoin is facing a critical juncture as its macro retracement converges with a tight mid-range…

11 hours ago

These Three Metrics Show Bitcoin Found Strong Support Near $80,000

Onchain data shows multiple cost basis metrics confirm heavy demand and investor conviction around the…

15 hours ago

Bitcoin Faces Immediate Key Levels At $76,000 And $99,000 — What Comes Next?

Bitcoin’s bearish momentum has since reached a cool-off state, as price maintains above the last…

15 hours ago

Vanguard Exec Likens Bitcoin to ‘Digital Labubu’ Even as Firm Opens ETF Trading Access

Executive John Ameriks emphasized Vanguard's core view of the crypto sector hasn't changed, seeing the…

17 hours ago

Brazil’s Largest Asset Manager Recommends Investors Put Up to 3% of their Money in Bitcoin to Hedge Against FX, Market Shocks

The recommendation is in line with other global asset managers like BlackRock and Bank of…

19 hours ago

Bitcoin Bullish Structure Weakens As Inter-Exchange Liquidity Touches Red Zone – Details

The Bitcoin market is experiencing a gradual trend reversal following weeks of prolonged price correction…

19 hours ago