BTC stuck between the liquidation death line: breaking 95K triggers 2.4 billion in short liquidations, dropping below 87K causes 1.8 billion in long casualties

According to the latest news, BTC is currently in an extremely dangerous position. If the price breaks above $95,282, the cumulative short liquidation strength on mainstream exchanges will reach $2.409 billion; conversely, if it falls below $86,940, the cumulative long liquidation strength will reach $1.851 billion. Currently, BTC is oscillating around $90,676, precisely between these two liquidation minefields. This is not just simple technical support and resistance but a real risk of leverage liquidation explosion.

No Way Out for Both Bulls and Bears

Data shows that BTC’s current liquidation pattern exhibits typical “dual-direction squeeze” characteristics:

Threats Facing the Bears

If BTC breaks above $95,282, $2.409 billion worth of short positions will be forcibly liquidated. How alarming is this number? Refer to recent market performance: on January 5, when BTC rebounded above $91,000, total liquidations reached $42.63 million, with over 81% of that from short positions. The current liquidation strength at $95,282 is several times that amount. Once triggered, it will create a “stampede-like rise”—shorts are forced to close, leading to passive buying, which further pushes up the price, making subsequent short liquidations even easier.

The Longs Are Also in Danger

If BTC drops below $86,940, $1.851 billion worth of long positions will be activated for liquidation. Although this number is smaller than the shorts, it is equally significant. Historical liquidation cases show that liquidity during declines is often worse than during rises—long liquidation equals passive selling, easily triggering chain reactions.

High Leverage Has Become the Norm

This “dilemma” is not unique to BTC. ETH data makes this clear: if ETH breaks above $3,300, the short liquidation strength reaches $809 million; if it falls below $3,150, the long liquidation strength reaches $1.053 billion. The entire market is in a highly leveraged state.

What does this indicate? Market participants are generally betting with leverage. Once prices hit these thresholds, liquidations will cascade like dominoes.

Why is this happening?

According to related information, whale holdings on the Hyperliquid platform show that long positions account for 47.97%, while shorts account for 52.03%, with a long-short ratio of only 0.92. This indicates a clear divergence in expectations among major players, but none are reducing their positions—instead, they are increasing leverage. In such a highly opposing environment, any sudden factor could trigger a liquidation.

Will History Repeat Itself?

On January 1, when BTC dropped from $89,000 to $87,000, total liquidations reached $228 million, with over 160,000 people being liquidated. This was just a moderate fluctuation. If any of the above liquidation thresholds are triggered now, the scale of liquidation could be several times larger.

Summary

BTC’s current position is like walking on a tightrope—breaking above $95,282 could trigger $2.409 billion in short liquidations, while falling below $86,940 could lead to $1.851 billion in long liquidations. High leverage has become the norm in the market, not only for BTC but also for mainstream coins like ETH, which face similar risks. This is not meant to scare but is an objective fact based on liquidation data. For traders, this means that any one-sided market movement could trigger large-scale liquidations. Risks and opportunities coexist, but risks are often underestimated.