# Bitcoin’s 2.8% Decline Coincided With $771 Million in Crypto Liquidations

By Enna Lee

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/32019
Published: 2026-10-14T19:36:04.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-14T19:36:04.000Z
Section: Investing

> The 24-hour tally included $685.6 million in long positions. Bitcoin stood at $81,382 at 9:20 p.m. ET Oct. 12.

A roughly 2.8% decline in Bitcoin coincided with $771 million in crypto liquidations over 24 hours on Oct. 12, illustrating how leveraged trading can turn a price move into forced position closures. The tally included $685.6 million in long positions, while Bitcoin (BTC) stood at $81,382 at 9:20 p.m. ET, down from about $84,200 earlier in the preceding 24-hour period.

The liquidation total measures the notional value of positions closed, not the amount traders lost. It also covers crypto markets broadly, so it should not be read as a Bitcoin-only figure or as proof that Bitcoin’s decline alone triggered every closure.

Leverage allows a trader to control a position larger than the collateral deposited. When losses reduce available collateral below an exchange’s maintenance requirement, the exchange can close the position under its liquidation rules. The required margin can vary with position size and the exchange’s rules.

Forced closures can add pressure to a falling market. If the exchange sells a liquidated long position and that sale pushes prices lower, other positions may approach their own liquidation thresholds. The process can feed on itself, though the extent depends on market liquidity, the positions involved and each platform’s liquidation system.

The mechanics differ by venue. A futures system may first try to reduce a position through an Immediate or Cancel order. If an insolvent position cannot be covered by an insurance fund, a platform may use auto-deleveraging to close positions on the other side.