Crypto Market Liquidated $100 Million In Just One Hour

The crypto market just absorbed a $100 million wipeout in only one hour. Almost all of the losses came from long positions. Traders betting on rising prices were forced out as the market turned against them. Bitcoin dropped quickly from $67,400 to the value of $64,300. Ethereum fell even harder, sliding from a worth $3,850 to $3,600. Solana lost about 8 percent and Cardano around 6 percent, with altcoins broadly following the same path down. What makes this move notable is not just the size of the losses but the speed. Market sentiment flipped sharply, with the Fear and Greed Index tumbling from a confident 65, signaling greed, down to 45, reflecting fear.

Leverage Triggers Cascading Liquidations

The dynamic is familiar. Traders had built up heavy leverage, stacking long bets on the expectation that the rally would keep going. That leverage cuts both ways. Once the bitcoin price started to slip, automatic stop-losses and margin calls began to cascade. Each forced sale dragged prices lower, sparking the next round of liquidations. Ethereum tumbled within minutes, adding to the pressure. Altcoins quickly followed. A small correction soon turned into a wider sell-off. The very tools traders use to protect themselves ended up accelerating the fall.

Sentiment in Crypto Market Shifts

Sentiment in the crypto market often changes faster than in traditional assets. A sudden swing in the Fear and Greed Index of 20 points in a single hour. There seems to be a fragile confidence when positions are so highly leveraged. It’s not the first episode of this kind. Earlier in the month, $300 million in long positions were liquidated in one hour. Only a few weeks earlier, nearly hundreds of millions vanished in a single day, driven once again by sharp bitcoin and Ethereum liquidations.

Uncertainty Adds Pressure to Already Shaken Market

Inflation concerns, speculation about rate cuts, and a cautious macroeconomic environment have all contributed to jittery positioning. On top of that, regulatory signals are adding another layer of tension. Hours after the SEC fast-tracked approval for Bitwise’s 10 Crypto Index Fund to become a spot ETF, trading was abruptly paused. For investors, this sudden reversal was unsettling. A market already shaken by a $100 million liquidation now faces new doubts about the stability of regulatory outcomes.

Small Pullbacks Into Chain Reactions

Leverage is amplifying risk in ways that continue to surprise many. The crypto market reacts not only to prices but also to the structure of bets underlying those prices. The crypto market remains highly sensitive, with confidence tied as much to positioning and sentiment as to fundamentals. The last hour shows how fast optimism can vanish, and how thin the line is between a rally and a rout.

This is not financial advice. Always invest based on your own research.