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Cryptocurrency exchange OKX encountered a sudden and significant flash crash, resulting in a staggering 48% decline in the value of its native token, OKB.
Market Turbulence and Rapid Recovery
Within less than an hour, approximately $6.5 billion in diluted market capitalization vanished before the OKB token regained its losses. OKX attributed the incident to an overall market sell-off that triggered the liquidation of numerous large leverage positions. This was further exacerbated by liquidations in pledged lending, margin trading, and cross-currency transactions.
According to Coin Telegraph, the price of OKB tokens plummeted from $48.36 to $25.10 within minutes, only to swiftly rebound. As of the latest update, OKB tokens are trading at $48.77.
Post-incident Analysis and Reassurances
Following the flash crash, OKX conducted a thorough post-mortem analysis, revealing that liquidations were triggered by a relatively modest price movement of "50.69 to 48.36 USDT" in OKB, amounting to less than a 5% shift. In response to the incident, the exchange has committed to reimbursing users for any losses from the flash crash.
"We will further optimize spot leverage gradient levels, pledged lending risk control rules, liquidation mechanisms, etc., to avoid similar problems from happening again," OKX stated. "We understand this situation is unusual and apologize to impacted users."
Market Volatility
Flash crashes are common in cryptocurrency markets, given the thin liquidity often spread across various platforms. For OKB, a 2% market depth translates to a capital requirement ranging from $224,000 to $184,000, indicating that a sell order exceeding $224,000 could trigger another price cascade.
According to Coin Desk, despite the volatility experienced, OKB maintains a market capitalization of $2.8 billion, solidifying its position as the fourth-largest exchange token currently in circulation, according to CoinGecko. As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, exchanges like OKX remain vigilant in navigating market turbulence and safeguarding user interests amidst such fluctuations.
Photo: Behnam Norouzi/Unsplash
