Bitcoin hits four-month low amid $1.95 billion in cryptocurrency liquidations

Bitcoin fell to a four-month low of 62,022 US dollars during Asian trading on Sunday, November 16, 2026, marking its lowest price since July 14, 2026. The decline occurred alongside significant market pressures and heavy liquidations across the digital asset sector. Ethereum also experienced a sharp decline, hitting a low of 1,711 US dollars, which represents its lowest level since July 8, 2026.

Market liquidations and price volatility

Cryptocurrency liquidations reached approximately 1.95 billion US dollars in the 24-hour period ending at noon Singapore time on Sunday, November 16, 2026. This total includes 758 million US dollars in Bitcoin liquidations and 466 million US dollars in Ethereum liquidations, according to Coinglass data. This follows a period of high volatility on Friday, November 14, 2026, when cryptocurrency buy-side liquidations totaled approximately 1.3 billion US dollars over 24 hours, with Bitcoin accounting for the largest share of those losses.

The price of Bitcoin saw a 5.7% decrease during US trading on Saturday, November 15, 2026, and dropped an additional 3.7% during Asian trading on Sunday. While the asset hit significant lows, it showed signs of recovery to approximately 64,800 US dollars by noon Singapore time on Sunday, November 16, 2026. Ethereum also attempted a recovery, rising to approximately 1,800 US dollars after its drop to 1,711 US dollars.

Market capitalization and institutional factors

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization decreased by approximately 80 billion US dollars, falling from 2.39 trillion US dollars to 2.31 trillion US dollars, according to Kayhan. Bitcoin's individual market capitalization also saw a reduction, falling from 1.435 trillion US dollars to 1.375 trillion US dollars. This indicates that Bitcoin maintains a share of 60% of the total market. Bitcoin has declined by more than 20% since October 21, 2026.

Several factors contributed to the recent market downward pressure. These include rising interest rate expectations and capital outflows from US Bitcoin ETFs. Additionally, the market has been reacting to the aftermath of a 6 billion US dollar Binance hack. Rich Rosenbloom, the co-founder of GSR, stated that the decline is a technical move caused by Bitcoin falling below its 200-day moving average, which triggered liquidations and new short positions.

Regulatory and technical context

The current market instability occurs amid shifting regulatory landscapes in the United States. The expectation that the Democratic Party will regain control of both US Congressional chambers starting in 2027 is expected to increase regulatory oversight of the cryptocurrency sector. This potential for increased scrutiny adds to the existing market pressures alongside the recent volatility in major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Glossary

• Bitcoin — Bitcoin is a digital asset. It is a cryptocurrency that maintains a 60% share of the total cryptocurrency market.
• Ethereum — Ethereum is a cryptocurrency. It is a major asset in the digital asset sector.
• liquidations — Liquidations are losses occurring within the digital asset sector. They can be triggered when an asset falls below a specific moving average.
• market capitalization — Market capitalization is a metric used to measure the value of a company or the total value of the cryptocurrency market.
• GSR — GSR is a venture capital firm. Its co-founder is Rich Rosenbloom.