• Altcoin leverage is surging, with many low-cap assets showing excessive futures exposure that raises liquidation risks.
• Data shows several altcoins now have futures activity surpassing market value, increasing the chance of rapid wipeouts.
• Experts note that Top-100 assets remain comparatively safer with significantly lower leverage ratios.

Altcoin market sentiment becomes more cautious as market analysts point to a sharp increase in leveraged trading activity among lower market capitalization coins.

New evidence suggests that a significant number of these coins now utilize more leverage than can potentially be supported by their market value, which often precedes liquidation episodes.

Altcoin Futures Spike Sparks Liquidation Fears

Warning signs would include when the Open Interest to Market Cap ratio becomes too high, which represents a key value that reveals the extent to which trading of the particular coin occurs due to futures contracts rather than actual trading activity.

A rapid rise in open interest and a low market capitalization of the altcoin suggest that small market movements can cause significant problems for said asset.

Data research provided by Alpharactal shows an increasing gap, with many alternative coins experiencing a sharp surge in futures trading volumes over the past weeks.

Analyst Joao Wedson highlights that “HYPE, ASTER, ENA, TRUMP, and VIRTUAL” are among those altcoins that face “high liquidation risk.” There are instances where “open interest has already surpassed market cap,” which itself speaks volumes about “speculative exuberance.”

Under these circumstances, Wedson points out that not more than 5% movement can wipe out large numbers of leveraged long positions in minutes.

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Altcoin Stability Found in Top-100

“The safest part of the market,” according to Wedson, “is still inside Top 100 cryptos,” where more than 90% of assets show an Open Interest / Market Cap ratio below 20%. This significantly reduces the risk of “sudden liquidation wave[s] occurring.”

To range mean reversion or go beyond it would not necessarily mean error, but would require particular caution and knowledge of how certain factors can cause abrupt volatility.

Since there has been an increase in speculation on markets, analysts now forecast that when the major correction comes, it won’t be related to global factors but to leverage itself.

More money keeps moving into futures markets rather than spot markets; therefore, if there’s just a small correction, liquidation programs get initiated.

It was recommended to closely monitor leverage indicators while tracking price charts because, in the present market environment, liquidation risk could increase even when market momentum is strong.

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