Crypto Crash: $19.5 Billion Wiped Out In Record-Breaking Liquidation Event

Scott Matherson

2 weeks ago

4 mins read

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The crypto market has erased more than $19.5 billion in leveraged positions in the past 24 hours, making it the most chaotic 24-hour period in crypto history. This crash, which saw 1.6 million traders forced out of positions, was caused by sudden US tariff announcements on China and amplified by risky leverage across exchanges.

Bitcoin alone witnessed a $20,000 daily swing and erased $380 billion in market capitalization in a single day. This liquidation surpassed all previous records by nearly tenfold, surpassing records set during the FTX collapse and the March 2020 crash.

Liquidations Ripple Through Entire Crypto Market

The most recent crypto market crash took many crypto investors by surprise. Notably, data shared by The Kobeissi Letter on the social media platform X revealed that a total of $19.5 billion was liquidated between October 10 and 11, 2025, over nine times larger than any prior event. To put that into context, the February 2025 liquidation event saw only $2.2 billion erased, while the May 2021 crash cleared $1.2 billion.

Data across major exchanges confirmed that the sell-off was heavily one-sided. Out of the $19.38 billion in total liquidations, $16.7 billion came from long positions, which is a 6.7-to-1 ratio compared to shorts. Nearly every exchange, from Binance to Bybit, saw over 90% of liquidations hitting longs, with Hyperliquid alone recording $10.3 billion.

Crypto Exchange Liquidations. Source: @KobeissiLetter on X

This quick downturn is quite notable, considering the crypto market’s greed index had climbed above 60 when Bitcoin’s price action broke above $126,000 for the first time.

Crypto Fear and Greed Index. Source: @KobeissiLetter on X

What Caused The Crash?

The reason behind the crash can be attributed to a mix of extended market corrections following Bitcoin’s all-time high and rising tensions over new US tariffs on China. According to The Kobeissi Letter, the selloff unfolded through a series of perfectly timed events that tied geopolitical shocks to fragile market sentiment.

Total crypto market cap currently at $3.77 trillion. Chart: TradingView

At 9:40 AM ET, some large Bitcoin holders began selling off mysteriously, more than an hour before former U.S. President Donald Trump posted about a massive China tariff threat at 10:57 AM. Later in the day, at 4:30 PM, a large whale opened multi-million-dollar shorts, seemingly anticipating the coming drop. Just 20 minutes later, Trump officially announced a 100% tariff on China, and this delivered the final blow to bullish sentiment.

Timeline Of Events. Source: @KobeissiLetter on X

Trump’s tariff post dropped late on a Friday after US markets had closed, but the crypto market was wide open. As such, crypto prices fell into a vacuum as volume spiked, creating the perfect setup for one of the fastest collapses in crypto history. By 5:20 PM, total liquidations had reached $19.5 billion, and the whale closed positions for a $192 million profit.

Despite the carnage, The Kobeissi Letter noted that this event was technical rather than fundamental. The crash is a necessary reset that does not have long-term implications. A trade deal between the US and China would put an end to the uncertainty, and according to the team, crypto remains strong.

Bitcoin Price Chart. Source: @KobeissiLetter on X

At the time of writing, Bitcoin has recovered a bit from its plunge and is now trading at $111,790.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Scott Matherson

Scott Matherson is a prominent crypto writer at NewsBTC with a knack for capturing the pulse of the market, covering pivotal shifts, technological advancements, and regulatory changes with precision. Having witnessed the evolving landscape of the crypto world firsthand, Scott is able to dissect complex crypto topics and present them in an accessible and engaging manner. Scott's dedication to clarity and accuracy has made him an indispensable asset, helping to demystify the complex world of cryptocurrency for countless readers.

Scott’s experience spans a number of industries outside of crypto including banking and investment. He has brought his vast experience from these industries into crypto, which allows him to understand even the most complex topics and break them down in a way that is easy for readers from all works of life to understand. Scott’s pieces have helped to break down cryptocurrency processes and how they work, as well as the underlying groundbreaking technology that makes them so important to everyday life.

With years of experience in the crypto market, Scott began to focus on his true passion: writing. During this time, Scott has been able to author countless influential pieces that have drawn in millions of readers and have shaped public opinion across various important topics. His repertoire spans hundreds of articles on various sectors in the crypto industry, including decentralized finance (DeFi), decentralized exchanges (DEXes), Staking, Liquid Staking, emerging technologies, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), among others.

Scott’s influence is not just limited to the countless discussions that his publications have sparked but also as a consultant for major projects in the space. He has consulted on issues ranging from crypto regulations to new technology deployment. Scott’s expertise also spans community building and contributes to a number of causes to further the development of the crypto industry.

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In his personal life, Scott is an avid traveler and his exposure to the world and various way of life has helped him to understand how important technologies like the blockchain and cryptocurrencies are. This has been key in his understanding of its global impact, as well as his ability to connect socio-economic developments to technological trends around the globe like no one else.

Scott is known for his work in community education to help people understand crypto technology and how its existence impacts their lives. He is a well-respected figure in his community, known for his work in helping to enlighten and inspire the next generation as they channel their energies into pressing issues. His work is a testament to his dedication and commitment to education and innovation, as well as the promotion of ethical practices in the rapidly developing world of cryptocurrencies.

Scott stands steady in the frontlines of the crypto revolution and is committed to helping to shape a future that promotes the development of technology in an ethical manner that translates to the benefit of all in the society.

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