Price and time range
Price runs vertically (scale on the left and right), time horizontally. At the top you pick the range from 24 hours to 7 days. The candles show the real price history, the colours sit behind them.
Bitcoin liquidation heatmap explained
A liquidation heatmap shows estimated price areas where leveraged Bitcoin positions could be forcibly closed. The brighter a spot, the more estimated notional volume the model assumes there. The heatmap shows neither all real account positions nor certain price targets. It is an estimation model, not an observation.
Responsible: M. Huy
Estimated liquidation zones for Bitcoin
You find the heatmap itself on the Liquidations page. There you can choose the time range and coin and tap a spot to see time, price range and amount. Below the chart it shows how fresh the data is.
Read it in three steps
Longs below the price, shorts above
Below the current price the model assumes long liquidations: if the price fell there, leveraged buyers would be assumed liquidated in the model. Above sit assumed short liquidations for leveraged sellers. The total for both sides is shown below the chart.
Colour strength and freshness
Bright means a lot, dark little estimated notional volume at that price, not the number of real positions. When the price reaches a band, the model treats it as used up. Check below the chart how fresh the data is: if it says “outdated”, the latest data is older than two hours.
Don't confuse: three different things
Estimated liquidation zones (this page) are a model: where could positions be forcibly closed? Reported liquidations are forced closures that exchanges actually reported. You find them on the Liquidations page. Liquidity is broader: order-book walls are large resting limit orders – the Order-book walls page shows the currently captured walls as a snapshot. Searching for “liquidation zones” often turns up articles about liquidity sweeps. Those mean liquidity in the market, not liquidations.
How we calculate
The basis is the open interest of major exchanges, i.e. the value of open Bitcoin futures positions.
We assume common leverage levels and estimate at which prices these positions would be liquidated.
Values are updated hourly. While the view is open, the page fetches them again regularly.
Dollar amounts are the notional value of the positions. They are not the traders' loss and not their equity.
Limitations
It is a model. Exchanges do not publish a list of all positions and their liquidation prices.
Not all exchanges are included. Positions on other exchanges are missing.
We do not know individual traders' leverage, stops or partial closes. Our assumptions can be off.
No investment advice and no price forecast. Decide for yourself and only trade money you can afford to lose.
Frequently asked questions
What do the colours mean?
Bright means a lot, dark little estimated notional volume that the model assumes liquidated at that price. The colours are an estimate, not counted positions and not a loss total.
Why does the heatmap change?
Every new hour adds data. When open interest rises, new bands appear. When the price reaches a band, it counts as used up and disappears.
Does the heatmap tell where the price will go?
No. It shows where, according to the model, pressure can build up. It does not guarantee price targets or hits.
Where does the data come from and how fresh is it?
The data comes from major exchanges. Below the chart you see the last model hour and the server's calculation time. If the last model hour is older than two hours, it says “outdated”. The freshness of each exchange is not shown separately. If the page cannot load data, it says so.
In the terminal
In the HuyMarkets terminal you can show liquidation zones and order book walls right in the chart, together with your own positions.
Read on
Reported liquidations and heatmap →
Open interest and funding (market compass) →
Events that move the market →
Liquidity: order book walls →
Terminal manual →
Plans and pricing →