Market Highlights — August 15, 2025
1. $BTC Looks Vulnerable After Sharp Sell-Off
BTC dropped from an all-time high of around $124,500 to near $117,800, reflecting roughly a 5% pullback in a short span .
This rapid sell-off was accompanied by very high volume and significant long liquidations, suggesting the correction may be more than just a minor shakeout .
Analysts debate whether this is the start of a deeper reversal or merely a "buying trap" before the next rally .
2. Record-Breaking Liquidations Shake the Market
On August 13, the crypto market saw a staggering $5.01 billion in liquidations, driven by leveraged positions in BTC and ETH, primarily impacting #Binance #OKX and #BitMEX
Notably, 60% of losses came from short positions, while lingering clusters of Bitcoin shorts near $125K could trigger a short squeeze .
3. Volatility Slumps to Multi-Year Lows, but Signs of a “Coiled Spring” Emerge
$BTC 30-day implied volatility dropped to 36.5%, the lowest since October 2023, even as prices remained at record highs .
This compression is often viewed as a precursor to explosive moves — a “coiled spring” ready to burst .
CryptoQuant reports similar findings, with narrowing ranges between key support and resistance, priming the market for a snap either above $124K or below $113K .
4. $ETH Futures See Elevated Engagement — More Risk of Volatility
ETH futures open interest hit a new high of approximately $35.5 billion, indicating heavy participation and concentrated leverage in the market .
On August 12, ETH saw about $66 million in short liquidations, signaling outsized moves are possible in the short term .
5. Macro Watch: Jackson Hole and Its Impact
With Fed Chair Powell scheduled to speak on August 22 at Jackson Hole, markets are positioning for potential signals of a Fed rate cut .
Historically, dovish tones from Powell have triggered sharp crypto moves (BTC surged ~3.2% in two hours in 2023 after his dovish remarks).