$360M in Crypto Longs Liquidated as Bitcoin Falls Below $116K – Is This the Top?

Crypto markets experienced a brutal liquidation cascade with over $360 million in positioned longs wiped out as Bitcoin dropped below $116,000 and Ethereum fell under $4,300.

The massive deleveraging event occurred just days after Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $124,457, triggering automatic liquidations across major exchanges.

😲BREAKING: Over $100m in long positions were just liquidated in the past hour!

This as Bitcoin falls below $116k & ETH below $4.3k.

Rough week ahead? pic.twitter.com/dLBeH3of4o

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) August 18, 2025

Over 116,598 traders were liquidated in 24 hours, with total liquidations reaching $464.30 million according to exchange data.

Ethereum suffered the heaviest damage with $89 million in long liquidations, while Bitcoin accounted for $80 million in forced closures.

The liquidation wave accelerated during U.S. market hours, with over $125 million eliminated in a single hour.

The selloff intensified following last week’s inflation shock when July Producer Price Index data exceeded expectations at 3.3% annually, triggering over $1.05 billion in liquidations on August 14.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s declaration that “the U.S. will not be buying any Bitcoin” further dampened market sentiment that day, which contradicts previous Strategic Bitcoin Reserve promises.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS
💥 116,598 traders were liquidated , the total liquidations comes in at $464.30 million ✍️📉$BTC Manipulation to liquidate longs. pic.twitter.com/yJ2m64jgv5

— Crypto Seth (@seth_fin) August 18, 2025

Seasonal Patterns and Leveraged Market Structure Drive Volatility

Historical data reveal August and September as traditionally weak months for cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin declining in these periods during 8 of the past 12 years.

September historically ranks as Bitcoin’s worst-performing month, often coinciding with Federal Reserve meetings and critical macroeconomic data releases that amplify crypto market volatility.

The current liquidation event follows established patterns where excessive leverage builds during summer rallies before systematic flush-outs occur in late summer.

Over $6 billion in short positions face liquidation if Bitcoin reaches $124,000, while $2 billion in Ethereum longs remain vulnerable if prices hit $4,200.

$6 BILLION in shorts will be liquidated when $BTC hits $124K. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/7LoYmQ7NqD

— Crypto Rover (@rovercrc) August 18, 2025

DeFi platforms, including Aave and Compound, automatically liquidated collateral through smart contracts as prices declined, creating cascading selling pressure without centralized safeguards or circuit breakers.

The automated liquidation mechanisms amplified volatility as algorithmic trading systems responded to technical breakdowns.

Market data indicates over 67% of current liquidations originated from long positions, showing the extreme bullish positioning that preceded the selloff.

Exchange algorithms forcibly closed positions when margin requirements were breached, with the largest single liquidation reaching $9.43 million on the ETH-USD pair.

Institutional Accumulation Signals Potential Reversal Despite Surface Weakness

Technical analysis reveals a complex picture suggesting coordinated institutional activity rather than organic selling pressure.

Bitcoin experienced minimal movement during weekend hours when traditional markets closed, only to resume declining when U.S. markets reopened Monday morning, indicating institutional rather than retail-driven selling.

Notably, liquidity analysis accurately predicted the liquidation zone between $116.8K and $114.7K, with Bitcoin currently trading within this range after clearing overleveraged positions.

Most vulnerable long positions in this zone have been eliminated, potentially setting conditions for strong reversals once liquidation cascades are complete.

$BTC

As always, market follows liquidity.https://t.co/0kpznYNZkF pic.twitter.com/qWirUcRnC1

— Killa (@KillaXBT) August 18, 2025

The systematic nature of selling, combined with an elevated institutional premium, suggests weakness should be viewed as tactical positioning rather than fundamental deterioration.

Wall Street hedge funds reportedly built record short positions in Ethereum, creating potential fuel for short squeezes if markets reverse.

🚨 JUST IN:

WALL STREET HEDGE FUNDS ARE SHORTING ETH

THEIR NET SHORT POSITIONS JUST HIT A RECORD HIGH

THE MOTHER OF ALL SHORT SQUEEZES IS COMING pic.twitter.com/JLaysZAtcD

— Rekt Fencer (@rektfencer) August 18, 2025

Technical Outlook Points to Strategic Shakeout Rather Than Market Top

Chart analysis indicates Bitcoin found natural buying interest around $117,000-$118,000 levels during weekend consolidation, suggesting underlying demand exists without active institutional selling.

The precision with which Bitcoin reached predicted liquidation zones, combined with timing correlations to U.S. market hours, indicates orchestrated rather than organic price action.

The current positioning suggests institutional preparation for significant upward moves rather than genuine market deterioration.

Particularly, the Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index reached monthly highs even as Bitcoin prices declined, creating a bullish divergence that typically signals U.S. institutional accumulation.

Higher premiums indicate American buyers are willing to pay above global market rates despite apparent selling pressure.

Elevated Coinbase premiums during apparent weakness historically precede major rallies as sophisticated buyers accumulate during forced selling events.

Immediate support levels concentrate around $114,700, which represents the lower boundary of the predicted liquidation zone.

Breaking below this level could trigger additional liquidations, while holding above suggests the deleveraging process nears completion.

Based on technical structure and institutional positioning, Bitcoin likely tests the $114,700 support before reversing toward previous highs.

The systematic liquidation event will serve as a final shakeout before the next significant advance rather than marking a genuine market top.