According to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index, the crypto market sentiment in the third week of December remains dominated by fear, with a score of extreme fear. This negative sentiment has caused short positions to gain the upper hand.
However, several altcoins have their own catalysts that could trigger liquidations of these short positions. Which altcoins are they, and what specific risks do they face?
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1. Solana (SOL)
The 7-day liquidation heatmap for SOL shows that the potential liquidation volume of short positions is twice that of long positions.
Specifically, if SOL rises to $147 this week, traders holding short positions could suffer losses of up to $1 billion. In contrast, if SOL falls below $120, long traders could face liquidations worth around $500 million.
Several factors suggest that traders should be cautious when holding short positions this week.
First, SOL ETFs recorded seven consecutive days of positive inflows last week. Notably, the Bitwise SOL ETF has maintained positive inflows for 33 straight days since launch. It currently holds more than $600 million worth of SOL. This trend indicates sustained institutional demand.
Second, SOL has established strong support around the $130 level over the past four weeks. In addition, positive news about XRP expanding its DeFi use cases on Solana through Hex Trust has improved market sentiment.
As a result, SOL has solid grounds for a recovery this week, which could trigger short liquidations.
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2. Cardano (ADA)
Similar to SOL, overall negative market sentiment has encouraged short-term ADA derivatives traders to increase capital allocation and leverage on short positions.
This behavior has significantly increased the total short liquidation volume. If ADA rises to $0.45 this week, short positions could incur losses of up to $50 million. Conversely, if ADA drops to $0.35, long positions could face liquidations of around $19.5 million.
One key factor that ADA short traders should consider to reduce risk is the positive sentiment surrounding the Midnight project.
Midnight Network is a new blockchain developed by Input Output Global (IOG), the company behind Cardano, founded by Charles Hoskinson.
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Midnight Network focuses on privacy through zero-knowledge proof technology, specifically ZK-SNARKs. The NIGHT token has surged more than 150% over the past seven days. The project also won BeInCrypto’s “Breakthrough of the Year” award.
The growing demand for NIGHT is driving demand for ADA. According to the Taptool trading platform, NIGHT recorded DEX trading volume exceeding 85 million ADA over the past five days. Additionally, ADA holders can earn NIGHT by staking their ADA.
3. PIPPIN
PIPPIN is a meme coin that gained significant attention towards the end of the year. Its market capitalization surged from below $60 million to over $350 million in just three weeks.
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The liquidation heatmap indicates that cumulative potential long liquidations remain higher than those of short liquidations. This data suggests that many short-term traders still expect prices to continue rising.
However, this expectation carries significant risk. A recent analysis by the on-chain data tracking account Evening Trader Group revealed that 93 wallets currently hold 73% of the total supply.
These wallets are divided into three main accumulation clusters. Each cluster shows distinct origins and behavioral patterns. According to Evening Trader Group, this accumulation may be the primary driver behind the price surge. On the other hand, selling pressure could emerge at any time.
In addition, the project-linked account (ThePippinCo) has not posted any updates since June. This silence has raised concerns about the team’s commitment to the project.
If PIPPIN falls below $0.30 this week, more than $9 million in long positions could be liquidated. This figure could be even higher if PIPPIN experiences a sharp dump, similar to the fate of other manipulated meme tokens.