Key Points
- Bitcoin and Ethereum’s bullish wave led to nearly $1 billion in liquidations on May 8th, primarily from short positions.
- Despite the bullish momentum, the market may be at an inflection point with technical indicators flashing caution.
Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) have been on a bullish run, leading to a massive liquidation of nearly $1 billion on May 8th. The majority of this, around 80%, came from short positions, causing a significant market shakeup.
Market Uncertainty Remains
Although the bullish wave has been strong, there are indications it may not be the end for the bears. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum are currently in overbought territory, a place where momentum typically stalls and tactical shorts begin to circle.
Recent data from Coinglass revealed that 139,241 traders were liquidated in 24 hours, with total liquidations amounting to $328 million. Interestingly, despite the bullish trend, longs were the ones who took a larger hit, losing $170 million. This kind of market activity is characteristic of late-stage volatility.
Technical Indicators Flashing Red
With Bitcoin and Ethereum sitting above key resistance-turned-support levels, the market is at a crucial turning point. Momentum indicators are warning of caution; both the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and On-Balance Volume (OBV) are indicating a potential slowdown.
Simultaneously, Open Interest (OI) has increased by 1.25% to $137.44 billion, suggesting that leveraged exposure is back in play. However, this isn’t necessarily a bullish sign. With thinning bid walls, this spike in OI could set the stage for a liquidation cascade if support weakens.
The market’s next move depends largely on how smart money is deployed. Whale activity at these levels usually signals either a distribution trap or a controlled consolidation above supply. Either way, order books are set to be tested.
If the bulls stumble at this stage, the market could be looking at a cascading unwind, potentially leading to a reversal of the $1 billion in short liquidations seen earlier this week.
