Bitcoin Squeeze Wipes Out Over $1.2 Billion in Shorts as Price Hits $77,137
Bitcoin's price surged to new heights this week, reaching an intraday high of $79,320 before settling at around $77,137. The 7.9% increase over 24 hours marks a notable turnaround from previous weeks, with Bitcoin now up 23.2% for the week.
The rally is attributed to a short squeeze, where rising prices forced traders who had bet against Bitcoin to buy back their positions, adding fuel to the fire and pushing prices even higher.
According to CoinGlass data, approximately $1.5 billion in total crypto liquidations occurred across 178,777 traders in 24 hours, with short positions accounting for roughly $1.21 billion of that sum. Bitcoin alone drove about $17.25 million in liquidations on the one-hour heatmap.
The rebound follows a bruising stretch for the market, but analysts remain divided on whether the momentum can hold. The rally has coincided with favorable headlines out of Washington, including President Donald Trump's backing of the Clarity Act and signals that regulators are working to bring Hyperliquid onshore.