Bitcoin Price Cracks $84K as $188 Million in Crypto Shorts Get Wiped Out

Bitcoin’s price punched through $84,000 on Wednesday, catching bearish traders off guard and helping wipe out $188 million in short positions across crypto markets. More than 71,000 traders faced liquidations as the leading crypto asset climbed toward $84,700, squeezing leveraged bets against it. Bitcoin’s price traded near $84,376 on Bitstamp’s hourly chart on Oct. 21, 2026, after briefly approaching $84,739. The recovery followed a retreat toward $82,200 to $82,600, with BTC gaining roughly 1.5% to 2.7% over 24 hours. Coinglass figures captured Wednesday morning at 11:20 a.m. showed $243.04 million in cryptocurrency liquidations over the previous 24 hours.