Bitcoin briefly surged toward the $90,000 level earlier today, but the move was short-lived.
New liquidation data shows that the rally was less of a breakout attempt and more of a liquidity grab. BTC was tapping a dense cluster of short-liquidation levels before reversing sharply.
Bitcoin hits a liquidation wall at $90K
Liquidation heatmap data shows that a major concentration of short liquidations sat between $89,500 and $90,500. This level formed one of the strongest resistance pockets on the chart.
Source: TradingView
As soon as BTC wicked into this zone, the market saw a wave of forced buy-backs from short positions — but there was no follow-through.
This aligns with behavior typical of a liquidity raid, where price reaches a level only to fill orders and reverse once liquidity is consumed.
Also, the 6H chart confirms this: a large cluster of short-liquidation bubbles was triggered around $90K, followed by immediate selling pressure, pushing BTC back under $87,000.
Source: TradingView
Daily chart shows declining momentum and heavier downside liquidity
On the daily liquidation map, most of the high-density liquidity sits below current price:
- $84K–$82K–major long liquidation cluster
- $80K–$78K– next deep liquidity pocket
- Minimal high-volume short clusters above $90K
This imbalance implies that market makers and large players may find more incentive to push BTC downward toward deeper liquidity, where liquidations are more profitable.
The MACD indicator also shows that momentum has been weakening for over a week, and the MACD lines remain firmly below zero.
Why the Bitcoin price breakout failed
Three factors likely contributed to the rejection:
Liquidity exhaustion: Once the $90K short-liquidation band was cleared, there were no additional liquidity pools above to sustain a continued move.
Overleveraged longs: The daily chart shows multiple stacked long-liquidation levels beneath price, increasing vulnerability to a downside sweep.
Momentum divergence: MACD shows waning buying strength even before the move.
Together, these dynamics made the rally unstable from the start.
What to watch next
If BTC continues to drift lower, the first reaction zone is around $84K, where long-liquidation clusters begin to thicken.
A break below this level could accelerate a move into the $82K–$80K pocket, the largest pool of liquidity currently visible.
Additionally, for any meaningful upside attempt, BTC would need to reclaim liquidity back above $87.5K. Also, it must sustain momentum beyond $90K, where fresh short interest would need to build again.
Final Thoughts
- BTC’s tap of the $90K level was a liquidity hunt, not a sustainable breakout.
- The largest liquidation pools now sit below price, increasing the risk of a downward expansion.