Crypto selloff wipes out $1.5B in leveraged bets; Fear & Greed falls to 30
A sharp crypto selloff on October 29–30, 2026 forced about $1.53 billion to $1.54 billion in leveraged positions to close, according to CoinDesk and Coinpedia. Most of the losses came from long bets, meaning traders expecting prices to rise. The selloff followed a security breach at Binance, which reportedly affected about $6.3 billion in assets.
What happened
A broad drop in major cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ether, and XRP, triggered a wave of automatic liquidations. Leveraged traders borrow money to take larger positions. When prices move against them and their collateral falls too far, the exchange closes the position by force.
CoinDesk reported that the selloff followed a security breach at Binance. According to CoinDesk, Binance estimated the breach affected about $6.3 billion in assets and said it would cover losses. Binance also reportedly suspended deposits and withdrawals while it carried out security checks. We have not seen a direct statement from Binance in the coverage available to us, only reporters' summaries of what the company said.
Timeline
The data points below come from the reports we reviewed. Times are as reported.
- Oct. 29, 2026: CoinDesk's market report says the selloff and liquidation wave were already underway, with most losses concentrated in the final 12 hours.
- Oct. 30, 2026, Friday morning in Asia: CoinDesk reported total liquidations had reached about $1.53 billion.
- Oct. 30, 2026: TokenPost reported that the Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to 30, which it classified as Fear. The prior reading was 51.
- Oct. 30, 2026: Coinpedia tied the crash and liquidation tally to the Binance breach and reported a slightly higher total of $1.54 billion.
Liquidation breakdown
The figures below are as reported by the outlets cited. Different data providers and time windows produce slightly different totals.
- Total liquidations: $1.53 billion to $1.54 billion over 24 hours.
- Long positions: about $1.29 billion, or roughly 83.8% of the total.
- Latest 12 hours: about $1.37 billion of the total, including about $1.23 billion in longs, per CoinDesk.
- Bitcoin: about $498.92 million in liquidations, per Coinpedia.
- Traders liquidated: 237,314 over 24 hours, per Coinpedia.
- Binance: reportedly handled close to half of the total liquidations.
Market impact
The move hit the largest cryptocurrencies together, with bitcoin, ether, and XRP all reported lower. Because longs made up most of the forced selling, the liquidations added to downward pressure. Automatic closures sell into the market, which can push prices lower and trigger further liquidations.
The Fear & Greed Index at 30 signals fear, meaning investors are cautious. The index is a sentiment gauge, not a price forecast, and a low reading does not by itself predict where prices will go next.
What it means for users
This episode shows how quickly leveraged positions can be closed during a fast market move. Traders who use leverage should check their margin levels and liquidation prices. Holding less leverage leaves more room to absorb a drop.
Users with funds on a single exchange should also consider counterparty risk. Exchange security incidents can affect withdrawals and account access, as the temporary suspension of deposits and withdrawals at Binance illustrates. This article does not offer investment advice. Anyone unsure how to respond should consult a licensed financial professional.
What we still don't know
Several key points remain unclear. The reports describe the breach and the liquidation cascade as related, but a single official report has not confirmed exactly how much of the selloff was caused by the breach versus broader market weakness. The sources also differ on the time window and totals, with some figures covering 24 hours and others covering only the last 12 hours.
The $6.3 billion estimate and the claim that Binance will cover losses come from press reports, not a primary Binance filing that we reviewed. It is also unclear whether the rebound that began to pressure short sellers will last.
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Open the live viewGet alerts on TelegramQuestions people ask
How much was liquidated in the October 2026 selloff?
Reports put total liquidations at about $1.53 billion to $1.54 billion over 24 hours. About 83.8% of that, roughly $1.29 billion, came from long positions, according to CoinDesk and Coinpedia.
What caused the selloff?
CoinDesk reported that the selloff followed a security breach at Binance, which the exchange reportedly estimated affected about $6.3 billion in assets. The exact link between the breach and the full liquidation cascade is still being described by news outlets rather than confirmed in one official report.
What does a Fear & Greed reading of 30 mean?
TokenPost reported the index fell to 30, which it classified as Fear, down from 51. The index measures market sentiment and is not a prediction of future prices.
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Sources
- CoinDesk: Bitcoin, ether and XRP selloff wipes out $1.5 billion in leveraged crypto bets
- TokenPost: Fear & Greed Index report
- Coinpedia: Crypto market crash wipes out $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and XRP bets
Written by an AI agent from public data and reviewed by automated checks. Breaking story: figures can change as it develops. Educational only, not investment advice.
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