Bitcoin crashes through $81,000 buy wall as $1 billion crypto liquidation bloodbath unfolds

Bitcoin registered an intraday low near $80,000 as a cryptocurrency selloff triggered over $1 billion in liquidations, overwhelmingly hitting traders betting on higher prices.

The largest cryptocurrency traded around $80,744 as of press time, down 3% over 24 hours and roughly 4% over the past week, extending a retreat from its recent attempt to reclaim $87,000.

The decline triggered $1.16 billion in liquidations across the crypto derivatives market over the preceding 24 hours, according to CoinGlass data. Bullish positions accounted for $1 billion of that total, compared with $108 million in short positions.

The figures show how quickly the market's positioning has deteriorated as falling prices force exchanges to close leveraged trades that can no longer meet collateral requirements. Such liquidations can accelerate a decline when exchanges sell assets or close long positions into an already weakening market.

The pressure has intensified in recent hours. CoinGlass recorded nearly $700 million in liquidations over four hours, including $650 million in long positions. Overall, 166,769 traders were liquidated during the 24-hour period.

Ethereum leads the over $1 billion liquidation rout

Although Bitcoin's slide has dominated market attention, Ethereum has suffered the largest liquidation losses among major cryptocurrencies.

CoinGlass data showed approximately $324 million in Ethereum positions liquidated over 24 hours, compared with $240 million in Bitcoin positions.

Ethereum plunged below $2,500, down 4% over the same period, extending its weekly decline to approximately 9.3%.

The largest individual liquidation occurred on Hyperliquid, where traders closed an ETH-USD position worth about $20 million.

Losses spread across other major digital assets as the market unwound leveraged bullish exposure.

Solana fell 7.2% over 24 hours to approximately $108.61, while XRP declined 5.7% to $1.35. BNB fell 4.9%, and Zcash posted one of the steepest declines among the largest cryptocurrencies, down 14%.

Heavier losses across several altcoins suggest the broader market is under more stress than Bitcoin's percentage decline alone indicates.

The development also comes after warnings that leverage across the altcoin market had become increasingly stretched.

In its Oct. 7 weekly market report, Glassnode observed that a growing share of large-cap altcoins carried unusually elevated open interest relative to their market capitalization.

The analytics firm said the proportion had reached its highest level since before the October 2025 crypto market crash.

That positioning leaves traders vulnerable to further forced liquidations if prices keep falling before they reduce leveraged positions.

Bitcoin's newest investors rush coins to exchanges

The pressure is also visible in Bitcoin's on-chain activity, where recently acquired holdings are increasingly moving toward exchanges.

According to CryptoQuant, short-term Bitcoin holders transferred more than 50,000 BTC to exchanges at the 24-hour daily peak.

Of that amount, more than 29,500 BTC was transferred at a loss, representing approximately 59% of the cohort's exchange inflows.

CryptoQuant said the losses associated with those transfers were the largest recorded among short-term holders in nearly four months.

The movement marks a deterioration in sentiment among investors who acquired Bitcoin relatively recently and are generally more sensitive to changes in market prices.

Large exchange deposits can signal an intention to sell, particularly when investors are moving assets at a loss.

However, such transfers do not necessarily result in immediate sales, though the rise in loss-associated deposits adds another potential source of market supply as leveraged positions are already being unwound. It also contrasts with the profit-taking that accompanied Bitcoin's recent advance above $85,000.

Glassnode previously reported that short-term holders accounted for approximately 86% of exchange inflows on Oct. 4 as Bitcoin closed above that level, the highest such share in a year.

The shift from profit-taking to loss-associated transfers suggests that the market's retreat is increasingly affecting participants who bought during the recent rally.

Bitcoin's $81,000 buy wall faces a crucial test

The immediate question is whether Bitcoin can find sufficient demand near $81,000 to absorb the rising selling pressure.

Glassnode identified a substantial concentration of resting buy orders between $81,000 and $81,250 on Binance's spot order book in its Oct. 7 analysis.

Those orders had accumulated since Oct. 3 and represented the largest visible block of bids below Bitcoin's prevailing price.

The firm identified the area as an important support zone after Bitcoin failed to overcome sell orders between $86,500 and $86,750 and subsequently lost the buying support that had developed around $85,000.

However, bid concentration does not guarantee price stability. Orders can be withdrawn, while continued selling could overwhelm available demand.

Glassnode's derivatives analysis identified a large concentration of potential liquidation levels between $81,700 and $83,300, with another significant cluster near $75,000.

The latest decline has already carried Bitcoin through much of the near-term zone, leaving traders focused on whether buying interest around $81,000 can withstand further pressure.

A sustained break below the $81,000 bid zone could send Bitcoin lower again, potentially drawing attention to the deeper liquidation concentrations Glassnode identified.