Liquidations in Crypto

A liquidation happens when a leveraged position loses so much value that the trader's collateral can no longer cover the required maintenance margin. The exchange then closes the position automatically, usually at a loss of most or all of the margin. In crypto, where leverage is easy to use and prices move fast, liquidations happen constantly. When many positions are liquidated at once, the forced selling or buying can push prices further, triggering more liquidations in a cascade.

How liquidation works#

1. You open a leveraged position with initial margin.
2. The position moves against you, reducing your margin balance.
3. When margin falls to the maintenance level, the exchange's liquidation engine takes over the position.
4. The engine closes it in the market, and any remaining margin may go to the exchange's insurance fund.
5. If the market moves too fast, losses beyond your margin are covered by the insurance fund or, in extreme cases, by auto deleveraging. See Insurance Funds and Auto-Deleveraging.

Calculating a liquidation price#

For an isolated long position, roughly:

liquidation price ≈ entry price × (1 - 1/leverage + maintenance margin rate)

Liquidation cascades#

When prices fall, liquidations of long positions add selling pressure, pushing prices lower and triggering more liquidations. The same happens upward with short squeezes.

• 19 May 2021: Bitcoin fell from about $43,000 to near $30,000 intraday, with billions of dollars of positions liquidated in a day.
• 10 October 2025: after new US tariff threats, crypto markets fell sharply, and data providers reported more than $19 billion of liquidations within about a day, the largest on record at the time.

Cascades create long wicks on charts: prices briefly spike far beyond where they settle.

Mark price protection#

Exchanges trigger liquidations using the mark price, derived from a spot index across several exchanges, rather than the last traded price on one exchange. This reduces liquidations caused by a single erratic trade. See Mark Price vs Index Price.

Liquidation heatmaps#

Analytics services estimate where large clusters of liquidation prices sit, based on open interest and typical leverage. Some traders watch these "liquidation levels" because price can be drawn toward them, similar to stop hunting around obvious levels. Estimates are approximate. See Liquidity Sweeps and Stop Hunts.

How to avoid liquidation#

1. Use low leverage, or none. Many experienced traders rarely exceed 2x to 3x.
2. Use stop losses so that you exit well before the liquidation price. See Stop Loss Strategies.
3. Size positions by risk, not by available leverage. See Position Sizing.
4. Use isolated margin for speculative trades so one position cannot drain the whole account.
5. Avoid adding margin to losing trades without a plan.
6. Watch funding and open interest for crowded positioning. See Funding Rates.

Frequently asked questions#

What is a liquidation in crypto?#

The forced closing of a leveraged position by the exchange when the trader's margin falls below the maintenance requirement.

How do I calculate my liquidation price?#

For an isolated long, roughly entry price × (1 minus 1/leverage plus the maintenance margin rate); exchanges show the exact figure.

What is a liquidation cascade?#

A chain reaction where liquidations push prices further, triggering more liquidations, often causing sharp, brief price spikes.

Next, learn what happens when liquidations cannot be absorbed in Insurance Funds and Auto-Deleveraging.