Traders speculating on a rise in cryptocurrency prices witnessed around $217 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, fueled by the unfolding approval of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) transforming into a “sell-the-news” scenario. This unconventional move shows no signs of losing momentum.
Concerns emerged about Grayscale, a crypto fund, selling its bitcoin holdings, as indications pointed towards holders offloading GBTC ETF shares. Tracked and identified by Arkham, an analysis firm, Grayscale’s verified wallets revealed a transfer of over $400 million worth of bitcoin to Coinbase Prime on Thursday, potentially in anticipation of an upcoming sale.
Notably, GBTC shares experienced a 0.9% discount on Thursday amid what analysts identify as “likely selling pressure.” However, with BlackRock’s IBIT surpassing $1 billion in assets under management on Wednesday, it appears that other ETFs are absorbing the majority of these sell-offs.
Bitcoin dipped below $42,000 late on Thursday, marking a 3.7% decrease since the previous day and a 15% retreat from the December peak at $49,000. This downturn triggered a broader market decline, with ether falling 2.5%, Solana dropping 6.5%, and Cardano down 5%.
In contrast, BNB Chain’s BNB demonstrated resilience, gaining 0.6%, boosted by launchpads on the closely affiliated Binance exchange. These launchpads allow users to stake BNB and secure allocations for new projects listed on the platform.
The decline in prices resulted in substantial losses for highly leveraged futures traders anticipating upward price movements, with $217 million in liquidations, including $88 million from bitcoin trades alone.
Liquidations occur when an exchange forcibly closes a trader’s leveraged position due to a partial or total loss of the trader’s initial margin. This happens when a trader fails to meet the margin requirements for a leveraged position, lacking sufficient funds to keep the trade open.
Looking ahead, some traders anticipate a range-bound trend in the broader crypto markets in the short term. Rachel Lin, CEO and co-founder of SynFutures based in Singapore, remarked in a Friday note that Bitcoin is likely to find short-term support in the $40,000–$42,000 range. She characterized the past week as a period of relative calm after the ETF frenzy, with the market now moving sideways in search of the next catalyst.
