Crypto liquidations top $1.08b as 182k traders get ‘rekt’

Crypto markets suffer a brutal $1.08b long wipeout as 182k traders are liquidated in 24 hours.

A brutal deleveraging ripped through crypto markets on Jan. 20, wiping out more than $1 billion in leveraged bets and leaving over 182,000 traders “rekt” in a single 24‑hour window. Longs took almost all the pain as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) futures buckled under cascading margin calls.​

$1.08B flushed in 24 hours

• Data from CoinGlass shows 182,729 traders liquidated over the 24 hours ending Jan. 20, with total liquidations hitting $1.08 billion.​
• Longs accounted for roughly $1.08 billion, while shorts represented just $79.67 million in forced closures, underscoring how one‑sided positioning had become.​
• Bitcoin longs saw $427.06 million liquidated, with Ethereum close behind at $374.47 million.​

Exchanges reported heavy damage across their derivatives books: Hyperliquid logged $132.39 million in long liquidations, Bybit $91.35 million, and Binance $64.08 million over a four‑hour stretch. The single largest hit came on Bitget, where a BTCUSDT_UMCBL position worth $13.52 million was wiped out.

High‑profile traders and forced selling

Liquidation is triggered when an exchange closes a leveraged position because margin no longer covers mounting losses, automatically dumping collateral into a falling market and amplifying the slide. That feedback loop was on full display as each forced sale pushed prices lower and knocked out the next weakest positions.

High‑profile speculators were not spared. Machi Big Brother, a well‑known investor, suffered five liquidations in a single day, racking up $24.18 million in losses. His remaining 2,200 ETH, worth about $6.67 million, “faces further risk if Ethereum drops to $2,991.43,” the report notes.​

Technical stress and RSI breakdown

Beyond the dollar figures, the structure of the market looks fragile. Most altcoins now trade with a daily Relative Strength Index below 50, a classic sign of persistent selling pressure. The RSI, which oscillates between 0 and 100, flags bearish momentum when it sits under the midpoint.​

One analyst summarized the landscape starkly: “Most altcoins are trading with a daily RSI below 50, signaling selling pressure. In addition, the 24h Liquidations / Open Interest ratio is elevated across much of the market, indicating that a large number of traders have been liquidated over the past 24 hours. A typical deleverage and market stress environment.”​

Spot prices: majors under pressure

By early Jan. 21, Bitcoin (BTC) was trading around $89,300–$89,471, down roughly 2–3% over 24 hours, after dipping as low as about $88,249. Ethereum (ETH) changed hands near $2,961–$2,964, sliding around 4–5% over the past day after a sharp break from levels above $3,180. Broader large‑cap benchmarks echoed the risk‑off tone, with market trackers highlighting heavier percentage losses among altcoins than in Bitcoin.​

For readers, all referenced datasets and quotes can be consulted directly via Yahoo Finance’s original report on the liquidation wave, Bitcoin and Ethereum price pages and history on Yahoo Finance, as well as aggregate pricing dashboards on CoinMarketCap and complementary market coverage on crypto.news.