Bitcoin falls to $82,000, triggering nearly $2 billion in leveraged liquidations

Bitcoin's price plummeted to $82,000 early Friday, resulting in nearly $2 billion in leveraged liquidations across the crypto market over the preceding 24 hours. This sharp decline followed a volatile week where Bitcoin had reached a record high near $126,199. The drop was primarily driven by significant ETF outflows and a general risk-off sentiment, which forced the liquidation of numerous long positions.

Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, had previously cautioned that tightening liquidity and credit stress indicators could push Bitcoin into the mid-$80,000 range. Hayes suggested this downturn might force emergency liquidity measures, which could eventually fuel a subsequent surge in Bitcoin toward $200,000–$250,000. He also observed that key demand drivers, such as ETF basis trades and digital asset treasury flows, have stalled, signaling a true liquidity crunch.

(Source：Crypto Briefing)