The Merciless Storm: Crypto crash after macro shock

in LeoFinanceyesterday


The sharp collapse of the cryptocurrency market on November 14, 2025, was the result of a “perfect storm,” combining a change in expectations regarding the Federal Reserve's hawkish policy, disappointing macroeconomic data from China, low market liquidity, and cascading liquidations of leveraged positions.


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Analysis of the Cryptocurrency Market Collapse of November 14, 2025: Synthesis of Macroeconomic, Technical, and Regulatory Factors


1. Introduction: The Market Landscape on the Eve of the Correction

Analyzing sudden market collapses is of fundamental strategic importance, allowing for a deeper understanding of asset dynamics, their vulnerability to external factors, and internal structural weaknesses. This report provides a thorough deconstruction of the events of November 14, 2025, which led to one of the most severe corrections in the cryptocurrency market recently.

The period preceding November 14 was characterized by a growing dissonance between superficial optimism and deteriorating fundamental on-chain and structural indicators. The cryptocurrency market struggled to regain momentum since the October chaos, weighed down by the strength of the US dollar, higher bond yields, selling pressure from long-term holders, and general macroeconomic uncertainty. This state of heightened vulnerability created fertile ground for a sharp sell-off.

2. Scale and Dynamics of the Collapse – Analysis of Key Indicators

Quantifying the scale of the collapse is crucial for fully understanding its severity and mechanisms. This section presents hard data that illustrates the depth of the price correction and its broad impact on the entire ecosystem.

Crypto AssetPrice (approx. Nov 14)Change (24h)
Bitcoin (BTC)$97 078-5.62%
Ethereum (ETH)$3 189-8.98%
Solana (SOL)$142-8.45%
Cardano (ADA)$0.518-8.56%
XRP$2.289-8.41%

The broad impact of the collapse is illustrated by the following market indicators:

  • Decline in Global Capitalization: Within 24 hours, the global cryptocurrency market capitalization shrank to $3.27 trillion, representing a decline of 6.14%.
  • Liquidation Cascade: The total value of liquidated leveraged positions exceeded $1.1 billion within 24 hours. Approximately $887 million concerned long positions.
  • Outflows from ETF Funds: US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of nearly $870 million on Thursday, November 13. This was the second largest single-day outflow in the history of these instruments.

These dramatic indicators were the result of a convergence of powerful macroeconomic forces and internal technical market weaknesses.

3. Main Macroeconomic Factors

The increasing correlation of the cryptocurrency market with global financial markets makes it increasingly susceptible to macroeconomic shocks. The double shock – from the Fed's hawkish policy and weak data from China – created a classic "risk-off" environment, which particularly hits assets with high beta and long duration, such as cryptocurrencies.

3.1. Change in Expectations Regarding Federal Reserve Policy

The fundamental catalyst for the sell-off was the sharp change in market expectations regarding Federal Reserve policy. The probability of a December interest rate cut fell from 66.9% a week earlier to just 44.4% on November 14. This shift was amplified by hawkish statements from FOMC members. The Fed’s tougher stance, signaling more expensive capital and less liquidity, weakens the appetite for high-risk assets.

3.2. Economic Slowdown in China

Negative sentiment was further reinforced by disappointing economic data from China. Industrial production slowed, and fixed asset investments recorded a historical drop, contracting by 1.7% during the first ten months of the year. This data immediately triggered weakness in Asian markets, which quickly spread to the cryptocurrency market. In response, China attempted stabilization by making a liquidity injection of $50 billion.

3.3. Political Context in the USA

The collapse occurred shortly after the end of the 43-day US government shutdown. The resumption of full activity by key regulatory bodies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), provided an additional background of uncertainty.

4. Technical and Structural Market Factors

The internal condition of the market, including the level of liquidity and the structure of the derivatives market, played the role of a powerful shock accelerator.

4.1. Options Expiration and Derivatives Market Structure

A significant technical factor was the simultaneous expiration of a large number of options contracts on November 14. A total of 41,000 BTC options contracts worth $3.95 billion and 228,000 ETH contracts worth $730 million expired. The “max pain” level was crucial – this mechanism generates additional pressure on the spot market, as market makers are incentivized to push the price of the underlying asset toward this level.

4.2. Shrinking Market Liquidity

Another structural problem was decreasing liquidity. Market depth fell by approximately 30% compared to the highs of the current year. The drop in market depth means that less capital is needed to shift the price by a given percentage, which can practically trigger a sharp, multi-point decline.

4.3. Behavior of Long-Term Investors

On-chain data indicates that experienced investors realized profits in the weeks leading up to the collapse. In the 30 days before November 14, long-term holders sold approximately 815,000 BTC totaling nearly $79 billion. In the case of Ethereum, the distribution of assets by "veterans" reached the fastest pace since February 2021.

Decreasing liquidity created an environment where profit realization by long-term holders had a disproportionate impact on price. This selling pressure, reinforced by expiring options, triggered a cascade of liquidations in the derivatives market, which was the main driver of the depth of the collapse.

5. Investor Sentiment and Regulatory Environment

5.1. Fear and Greed Index

Market sentiment deteriorated sharply, reflected by the “Crypto Fear & Greed Index”. On the day of the collapse, its value dropped to 22, signaling a state of “extreme fear”.

5.2. Discrepancies in the ETF Market

The ETF market provided two contrasting signals during this period. On the one hand, spot Bitcoin funds experienced record outflows. On the other hand, the first US spot XRP fund, XRPC, successfully entered the market. Its trading volume on the first day amounted to an impressive $58 million, demonstrating the phenomenon of capital rotation within the digital asset class.

5.3. Uncertainty Related to MiCA and TFR Regulations

Although new, comprehensive European regulations – the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the Transfer of Funds Regulation (TFR) – are effective only on December 30, 2025, their approaching deadline created a significant background of uncertainty.

  • Travel Rule (TFR): Imposes an obligation on service providers to collect and transmit data about the sender and recipient of transactions, raising questions about the future of transfers between exchanges and non-custodial wallets.
  • Stablecoin Status: Particular concerns relate to unregulated stablecoins in the EU, such as Tether (USDT). There is a risk that they will be removed from European trading platforms.

6. Conclusions and Perspectives

The market collapse of November 14, 2025, was not the result of a single factor but the effect of a "perfect storm," in which negative macroeconomic signals, internal structural weaknesses, and growing regulatory uncertainty converged.

Three key conclusions follow from the analysis:

  • Vulnerability to Macroeconomic Shocks: The cryptocurrency market increasingly behaves like a high-beta asset, and its fate is strongly dependent on the policies of central banks, particularly the American Federal Reserve.
  • Critical Role of Liquidity and Derivatives: Low market depth and a large scale of leveraged positions act as a powerful accelerator of declines, leading to cascading liquidations.
  • Growing Importance of the Regulatory Environment: The impending implementation of comprehensive legal frameworks, such as MiCA and TFR in Europe, creates a new market reality, and uncertainty related to the implementation of these regulations may influence investment strategies.

In the short-term perspective, analysts point to key support levels for Bitcoin in the region of $94,000 – $95,000 USD. The market will closely observe the upcoming debuts of XRP ETF funds from Franklin Templeton and Bitwise (November 18-20).

FAQ

What was the direct cause of the sharp correction in the cryptocurrency market on November 14, 2025?

The main cause of the collapse was the macroeconomic environment, especially the sharp change in market expectations regarding the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve (Fed). The probability of a December interest rate cut decreased, and hawkish statements by FOMC members signaled more expensive capital, reinforcing "risk-off" sentiment.

How deep were the price drops of major digital assets during the 24 hours of the crisis?

On November 14, 2025, key cryptocurrencies recorded significant declines: Ethereum (ETH) lost 8.98%, Solana (SOL) 8.45%, and Bitcoin (BTC) 5.62%. Global market capitalization shrank by 6.14%.

How did decreasing market liquidity affect the dynamics of the sell-off?

Decreasing market liquidity, measured by a drop in market depth of approximately 30%, meant that less capital was needed to shift the price. This structural weakening, combined with selling pressure from long-term holders and the simultaneous expiration of options, acted as a powerful accelerator, leading to a cascade of liquidations of leveraged positions worth over $1.1 billion.

What new European regulations affected investor sentiment at the end of 2025?

The approaching implementation of European regulations MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) and TFR (Transfer of Funds Regulation) on December 30, 2025, raised concerns. Particular uncertainty was caused by the risk of removing unregulated stablecoins, such as Tether (USDT), from European platforms and ambiguities regarding the implementation of the Travel Rule for non-custodial wallets.

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