Analysis: Cryptocurrency market value evaporated by $300 billion this week, but downward pressure remains in the short term

Cryptocurrency market capitalization plummeted by approximately $300 billion this week, driven by a wave of leveraged bet collapses. This volatility severely impacted the sector's leading tokens and dragged market sentiment to its weakest level since early summer. Billions of dollars in bullish bets were forced to liquidate in the cryptocurrency perpetual futures market, further accelerating the decline. According to data compiled by Coinglass, cumulative liquidations of long positions (bullish bets) across exchanges have exceeded $3 billion. Some traders warn that the true extent of current market leverage remains unclear, as most trading platforms do not disclose complete liquidation data. On Friday, a report showed that key inflation indicators slowed last month, providing some buffer for the Federal Reserve to respond to a cooling labor market. This improved overall risk sentiment, leading to a slight recovery in Bitcoin and Ethereum prices. Paul Howard, senior director at market maker Wincent, called the pullback a "healthy correction." He noted that despite Bitcoin's price falling below its 100-day moving average and the total digital asset market capitalization falling below $4 trillion, there are no signs of panic yet. However, he also warned that short-term pressures may still cause prices to continue to fall - especially compared to the beginning of this year, when digital asset prices are more closely linked to macro market sentiment.