Nearly $1 billion in leveraged cryptocurrency positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours as prices for bitcoin, ether and XRP declined amid uncertainty over the U.S. Federal Reserve’s next interest-rate decision.
Bitcoin traded around $81,000, down roughly 3% over the period, while ether fell more than 6% to about $2,350 and XRP declined around 5%. Other tokens including Solana and dogecoin also dropped about 5-6%.
Data from CoinGlass showed total liquidations approaching or exceeding $942 million to $1.02 billion, with the vast majority from long positions. Ether liquidations reached approximately $283 million to $286 million, compared with about $197 million for bitcoin, meaning ether accounted for nearly 60% of the combined total for the two largest coins despite its smaller open interest.
Liquidations occur when traders using borrowed funds see prices move against their positions far enough to breach margin requirements, triggering automatic closures by exchanges. These forced sales can intensify downward pressure in falling markets.
The event is modest compared with the record $19 billion liquidated on October 10, 2025, but highlights how quickly leverage can unwind during routine market moves.
