Bitcoin experienced a sharp nearly 5% plunge to $86,950 in Sunday trading during November 2025, marking its worst performance for the month since 2018 with a 17.49% decline. This drop triggered $539 million in liquidations, primarily affecting long positions in BTC and ETH, amid high leverage and sudden selling pressure.
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Bitcoin’s Sunday slump: The cryptocurrency fell almost 5% in three hours, dropping from $91,500 to $86,950 on major exchanges.
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November 2025 marked Bitcoin’s poorest monthly showing this year, down 17.49% overall, echoing the 2018 bear market trends.
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Liquidations surged to $539 million in 24 hours, with over 180,000 traders impacted, 90% in long positions according to CoinGlass data.
Discover why Bitcoin plunged nearly 5% to $86,950 in November 2025, triggering massive liquidations. Explore the worst month since 2018 and key market insights for crypto investors.
What Caused Bitcoin’s Plunge in November 2025?
Bitcoin’s November 2025 plunge was driven by a sudden rush of selling volume that created a domino-effect sell-off, amplified by historic levels of leveraged positions. The asset, which had been consolidating around $91,500 over the weekend, dropped nearly 5% in just three hours on Sunday, reaching $86,950 on platforms like Coinbase. This followed a green weekly close at $90,411, but lacked an obvious news catalyst, as noted by market observers.
BTC dumps $4,500 in Sunday slaughter. Source: TradingView
How Did Leverage Contribute to the Liquidations?
The flash crash in Bitcoin’s price led to over $539 million in total liquidations across the crypto market in the past 24 hours, with the majority occurring in the final hours of Sunday trading. According to data from CoinGlass, more than 180,000 traders were affected, and nearly 90% of these were long positions focused on Bitcoin and Ether. Kobeissi Letter analysis highlighted that the structural nature of the crypto bear market, combined with excessive leverage, turned a routine selling pressure into a widespread liquidation event. “This crypto ‘bear market’ is still structural in nature. We do NOT view this as a fundamental decline,” stated the Kobeissi Letter, emphasizing that the move was amplified by the liquidation cascade rather than underlying asset weaknesses. Short sentences like these underscore the rapid escalation: selling volume spiked, prices dipped below stop-loss levels, and automated liquidations followed, wiping out positions en masse. Expert insights from platforms like TradingView further confirm that such events are common on weekends, with Friday and Sunday nights often seeing large crypto moves due to lower liquidity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Bitcoin’s worst monthly performance in recent history?
Bitcoin’s November 2025 performance marked its worst month of the year, declining 17.49% and representing the poorest November since 2018, when it fell 36.57% amid a severe bear market. This data from CoinGlass shows how the recent slump aligns with historical patterns during periods of high market volatility.
Why did Bitcoin fail to hold key resistance levels in November 2025?
Bitcoin traded around $91,500 for much of the weekend in November 2025, appearing to consolidate, but a sudden 5% drop in three hours pushed it to $86,950. Analysts point to a lack of buying support at resistance and weekend liquidity dips as key factors, making it a classic case of failed breakout without major news drivers.
Key Takeaways
- Sudden Selling Pressure: The 5% Bitcoin plunge stemmed from unexpected volume spikes, leading to rapid price declines without clear catalysts.
- Leverage Risks Exposed: $539 million in liquidations, mostly longs, highlight the dangers of high leverage in volatile markets like crypto.
- Historical Context: November 2025’s 17.49% drop is the worst since 2018, signaling potential for bullish recovery as downside liquidity is cleared.
Conclusion
Bitcoin’s November 2025 plunge to $86,950, coupled with $539 million in crypto liquidations, underscores the persistent structural challenges in the bear market, yet analysts like Sykodelic view it as a healthy reset. With downside liquidity swept and no major gaps left, the stage may be set for renewed momentum. Investors should monitor leverage levels closely and consider diversified strategies to navigate future volatility in the cryptocurrency landscape.
