The crypto marketplace is good known for its volatility and has undergone important changes implicit the years, peculiarly successful its effect to terms fluctuations.
However, a little evident reflection is the simplification of this volatility owed to a alteration successful capitalist behavior, notably wrong the futures market. An introspection of Bitcoin’s terms changes and the astir important liquidations successful 2021 and 2023 reveals a pronounced diminution successful the dollar amounts liquidated per percent alteration successful Bitcoin’s price.
Bitcoin Liquidation Sensitivity Index.
Central to this investigation is the conception of CryptoSlate’s Liquidation Sensitivity Index (LSI). This metric, calculated arsenic the full worth of some agelong and abbreviated liquidations divided by the implicit worth of the Bitcoin terms alteration percentage, offers a model into however marketplace participants respond to terms movements. A higher LSI indicates that smaller terms movements effect successful much important liquidations, a tell-tale motion of marketplace sensitivity.
The LSI utilizes Glassnode data, which tracks crypto autochthonal markets including Binance, OKX, and ByBit derivatives trading. These exchanges historically made up the bulk of Bitcoin futures trading; however, successful caller months, CME has begun to summation sizeable ground. Analysis of CME Open Interest would springiness a much holistic presumption of crypto derivatives to see accepted markets. However, owed to limitations successful humanities information comparisons, the LSI focuses solely connected crypto-native markets.
LSI is fundamentally a measurement of the dollar worth liquidated per 1% alteration successful Bitcoin price.
The chat beneath showcases the Bitcoin liquidations from 2021 to the present, with the orangish enactment representing Bitcoin terms and reddish and greenish showing abbreviated and agelong liquidations, respectively. While it whitethorn beryllium transparent to spot that liquidations person decreased importantly since 2021, the LSI reveals the existent interaction of this reduction.

Below are the astir notable liquidation events from 2021 and 2023 for comparison.
2021
In 2021, the Bitcoin marketplace exhibited precocious sensitivity to terms changes. This is evident from the LSI values recorded passim the year. For instance, connected Jan. 29, 2021, a terms summation of 14.24% and agelong and abbreviated liquidations caused a staggering $709.31 million, resulting successful an LSI of $49.81 cardinal USD/%. This signifier of precocious sensitivity persisted passim the year, with the LSI peaking astatine $152 cardinal USD/% connected April 18, 2021, with a terms driblet of 14.31%.
Following Tesla’s determination to halt accepting Bitcoin, May 19, 2021, saw chaotic terms swings, falling arsenic overmuch arsenic 28.2% connected the day. While the terms recovered to adjacent conscionable 14%, CryptoSlate’s investigation uses the astir important terms variance arsenic liquidations hap erstwhile definite terms levels are hit.
January 29 | $34,318 | +14.24% | $709,312,734 | $49,811,287 |
February 08 | $45,981 | +20.60% | $647,552,744 | $31,404,109 |
February 22 | $54,092 | -16.90% | $1,130,237,149 | $66,877,937 |
March 15 | $55,813 | -11.24% | $900,679,036 | $80,131,586 |
April 18 | $56,163 | -14.31% | $2,173,774,372 | $152,012,193 |
May 19 | $37,151 | -28.20% | $1,848,554,713 | $66,019,811 |
2023
Contrastingly, the twelvemonth 2023 paints a antithetic picture. The market’s absorption to terms changes was notably much muted. For example, connected Jan. 14, 2023, adjacent with a important terms summation of 7.33%, the full liquidations amounted to $145.84 million, translating to an LSI of $19.89 cardinal USD/%. This inclination of reduced sensitivity continued, arsenic seen connected Dec. 5, 2023, erstwhile a terms emergence of 5.17% resulted successful an LSI of conscionable $12.32 cardinal USD/%.
January 14 | $21,020 | +7.33% | $145,841,497 | $19,896,520 |
August 17 | $26,641 | -11.60% | $230,674,656 | $19,885,746 |
November 14 | $35,534 | -4.61% | $109,015,995 | $23,647,721 |
December 5 | $44,139 | +5.17% | $63,703,467 | $12,321,753 |
December 11 | $42,155 | -5.20% | $85,490,015 | $16,440,387 |
The quality becomes adjacent much pronounced erstwhile comparing the mean LSI values for the respective years. In 2021, the mean LSI was a precocious $74.27 cardinal USD/%. In stark contrast, the mean LSI for 2023 stands astatine a overmuch little $18.93 cardinal USD/%.
Thus, since 2021, determination has been a drastic simplification of $55 cardinal (77%) successful liquidations per percent constituent alteration successful Bitcoin price.
The Liquidation Sensitivity Index (LSI) for today, Dec. 11, continues this trend, with Bitcoin experiencing a terms alteration of 5% and full liquidations connected analyzed exchanges amounting to $85.4 million. The LSI is calculated astatine $16.44 cardinal USD/%. This fig signifies that for each 1% alteration successful Bitcoin’s terms today, the marketplace reacted with astir $16 cardinal successful liquidations.
When contextualized wrong the broader inclination of Bitcoin’s marketplace behavior, this LSI worth suggests that Bitcoin futures person go somewhat much delicate to terms question than earlier successful the month.
Several factors could explicate this alteration successful liquidation sensitivity. The crypto market, peculiarly Bitcoin, has matured importantly since 2021. Investors and traders mightiness person adapted amended hazard absorption strategies, becoming little reactive to terms changes.
Additionally, the introduction of much organization investors and the improvement of much blase trading tools could person contributed to a much unchangeable marketplace environment. This alteration includes the emergence of CME arsenic the astir ascendant futures trading level successful 2023, usurping Binance arsenic the fig 1 platform.
In conclusion, the comparative investigation of Bitcoin’s liquidation sensitivity successful 2021 and 2023 highlights a marked displacement successful marketplace dynamics. 2023 has witnessed a little worth of liquidations per percent constituent alteration successful Bitcoin terms compared to 2021.
This alteration reflects a maturing market, perchance indicating a much unchangeable and little speculative environment. These insights are important for investors and traders, suggesting a displacement towards a much resilient marketplace successful the look of terms volatility.
Read much crypto investigation with CryptoSlate Alpha.
The station Bitcoin present 77% little delicate to liquidations than 2021 signalling marketplace maturity appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.