Over-optimistic bitcoin (BTC) traders have once again been caught by a swift reversal during a bullish phase with more than $550 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours.

After stopping shy of the $20,000 mark, the bitcoin price is currently on the downtrend, almost slipping below $18,000.

According to data from crypto derivatives data aggregator bybt, total bitcoin liquidations in the last 24 hours stand at over 30,000 BTC. This figure amounts to roughly $550 million.

As bitcoin equaled its all-time high (ATH) on Monday, Nov. 30, profit-taking from traders likely triggered a wall of sell orders. Thus, over-leveraged longs looking to ride Monday’s bullish momentum appear to have been caught unawares again.

Bybt data shows that about 81,500 traders were liquidated in the last 24 hours. The largest single liquidation occurred on the Huobi platform with a trader losing over $6 million.

Data from crypto derivatives analytics provider Coinalyze also shows a significant decline in aggregated open interest (OI) across both crypto and US dollar-denominated contracts.

A reduction in OI points to funds flowing out of the futures market, reinforcing the notion that retail FOMO is ebbing slightly.

On Thanksgiving, over $1.9 billion was also liquidated from the crypto markets as the bitcoin price dipped 11%. The total market capitalization also shed more than $70 billion.

Historical data points to previous bullish bitcoin advances dotted with between 20-30% price pullbacks. Thus, the current situation is in keeping with the established trend.

Bitcoin ascending local price tops in quick succession also reinforces the bullish expectation for the largest crypto by market capitalization. Indeed, November saw Bitcoin’s largest monthly close in US dollar terms, clearing $6,600 within the period.

However, the accelerated nature of the price increase in the last few weeks may also lead to a steep correction. Traders argue that any significant interruption in the current bullish streak could see the BTC price revert to support somewhere in the $13,000 to $14,000 price bands.

Before the current run, the $13,800 handle proved a multi-year resistance for bitcoin.

Bitcoin proponents will be counting on the influx of institutional money flowing into the space to sustain the current bull market. As previously reported by BeInCrypto, Grayscale Investments recently added 7,300 BTC to its bitcoin holdings.

The post $550M in Bitcoin Liquidations as Price Falls Below $19,000 appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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