A wave of forced liquidations swept through crypto markets on Tuesday as traders who had bet against Bitcoin and Ether were caught off guard by a sharp price surge tied to hopes of a US-Iran agreement.
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Around 80% of the $530 million in total liquidations over 24 hours — roughly $425 million — came from leveraged short positions in the two largest cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin touched just under $75,000 on CoinMarketCap, a level not seen in nearly a month, before running into heavy resistance and retreating to about $74,655. Ether made an even bigger move, climbing 7% to reach $2,378 — its highest point since early February.
Geopolitical Hopes Fuel The Move
The rally came as markets began pricing in the possibility of a negotiated end to weeks of tension between Washington and Tehran. Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at crypto exchange BTSE, said traders believe the two sides are drawing closer to an agreement.
Iran’s oil exports are central to its economy, and a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane could put severe pressure on the country to come to the table.
“Now, it appears that Iran is frantically looking to broker a deal, and stock and crypto markets are rallying as a response,” Mei said.
US President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that a military blockade had begun. He threatened to eliminate any Iranian vessels that come near. Trump also told reporters Iran wants to reach a deal, but his administration will not sign anything that allows Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons.
The broader crypto market climbed to a total value of $2.6 trillion — its highest in a month — as the news spread. About 177,000 traders were liquidated across markets over a 24-hour period, according to data from CoinGlass.
Not Everyone Is Convinced
The rapid price jump did not go unquestioned. Valerius Labs, a market analyst, pushed back on the idea that the move signals a genuine recovery. “This isn’t a breakout,” the firm said. “It’s a short squeeze running into overhead supply. Real buyers show up above the 200-day simple moving average, not 15% below it.”
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Some analysts reported that over $300 billion in crypto short positions were wiped out in just a few hours, adding more than $100 billion to the total market cap in the process.
Beyond the short squeeze, other forces may also be at work. Reports indicate that institutional buying through spot crypto exchange-traded funds, along with purchases by centralized exchanges, could be adding fuel to Bitcoin’s climb. Still, the rejection at $75,000 resistance kept the bulls from claiming a clean win.
Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView