• Ethereum (ETH) open interest on Binance plunged 51%, marking one of the largest leverage resets of the year.
• Forced liquidations and unwinding of overcrowded long positions triggered the sudden collapse.
• A sharp drop in exchange balances signals declining sell-side liquidity, strengthening the probability of a supply squeeze if demand picks up.

The crypto products market just saw one of the sharpest unwinds of the year, with Ethereum (ETH) open interest on Binance collapsing by 51% in a single move to signal a deep reset in leveraged positioning. The sudden flush-out comes amid increased volatility across major assets, accelerating liquidations, and a broader cooldown in speculative trading.

A Violent Leverage Clear-Out

According to data shared by @Darkfost_Coc in the X post, Ethereum’s (ETH) open interest dropped by more than half in a matter of hours, a sign that an aggressive wave of forced liquidations, stop-outs, and position closures has swept through the market.

Such a dramatic decline usually reflects two things: Overleveraged traders were caught offside, triggering cascading liquidations. Derivatives markets have reset to positions that usually set the stage for more stable short-term price discovery.

Whereas sharp OI flushes sometimes reflect panic, they frequently act as “cleansing events,” removing excessive leverage that distorts the direction of spot markets.

Also Read: Ethereum Wallet Awakens After a Decade: Could It Lead to a $3,000 Rally?

Market-Wide Reset After Heavy Volatility

This OI collapse did not occur in isolation. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum saw outsized swings in recent sessions driven by macro uncertainty, fading risk appetite, and record-high liquidation clusters across major exchanges.

Specifically, for Ethereum, the high funding rates of the previous weeks were indicative of overcrowded long positioning-a classic setup for a large liquidation event once momentum flips.

In a market where leverage has been wiped out, price action may temporarily shift to a more spot-driven environment, determined by actual buying pressure, rather than by borrowed capital.

Market Outlook: Tracking Trend, Resistance, and Support Levels

Ethereum (ETH) currently has a market capitalization of approximately $349.19 billion, with a trading volume of about $26.37 billion in the last 24 hours. At press time, the altcoin is trading at $2,893.1, having increased by 2.48% over the past 24 hours.

The price is moving in a bearish trend and is currently testing a resistance level near $2,992.06. If it breaks above this, the next target could be $3,250.00. On the downside, the support level is around $2,999.21. If the altcoin falls below this level, we might see a drop towards $2,500.00.

The blue line indicates the resistance level at $2,992.06, while the yellow line represents the support level at $2,999.21.

What Comes Next for ETH?

While short-term uncertainty is high, the structural implications could be constructive. The cleaner derivatives market means lower risk of further cascading liquidations. Spot inflows could regain their influence as leverage drains out. ETH’s next major directional move will largely depend on macro catalysts and broader market stabilization.

While this drop was quite dramatic, history shows that major OI resets could mark early accumulation phases rather than being a purely bearish event.

Also Read: Ethereum (ETH) Charts Mirror 2017 and 2020 Cycles Ahead of Key Move