On October 15, 2026, the cryptocurrency market experienced a significant wave of liquidations, with long positions totaling approximately $876 million closed within 24 hours. Another data source estimated total liquidations at $850.1 million for the same day, with $718 million attributed to long positions.
At the height of the sell-off, long positions accounted for 88% to 92% of all liquidations. Ethereum liquidations ranged from approximately $149 million to $265 million, while Bitcoin saw between $101 million and $212 million in forced closures.
Binance accounted for 40% to 57% of the total liquidation volume, with Bybit and Hyperliquid also serving as major venues. Tens of thousands of positions were closed across exchanges due to margin exhaustion, as traders lacked sufficient collateral to maintain their leveraged bets.
Analysts attributed the event to general price weakness in a market with high leverage rather than specific macroeconomic or regulatory triggers. Similar liquidation events occurred throughout 2026, consistently coinciding with declines in market prices.
