Bitcoin Sits 45% Below Its Peak As Short Sellers Absorb $276M In Losses

West Texas Intermediate crude has hit $115 a barrel, gasoline prices in the US are up nearly 40% since late February, and Bitcoin is still trying to break through a wall it has failed to climb six times now. That is the world Bitcoin finds itself in on Monday as it briefly touched $69,550 — a modest 3.30% gain that nevertheless sent shockwaves through the derivatives market. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stumbles Hard: The Worst Q1 In Years Raises Big Questions Short Sellers Take The Hardest Hit Over $276 million in leveraged positions were wiped out in 24 hours, hitting 80,200 traders across crypto derivatives platforms. The damage was not spread evenly. Bears took the brunt of it. According to CoinGlass data, short positions accounted for $188 million of the $210 million liquidated in just the 12-hour window around the price surge. Long liquidations, by comparison, came in at $24 million. Traders who had been betting on a continued decline were caught flat-footed as Bitcoin pushed back to