Bitcoin (BTC) Price Plunged 90% to $5,400 Due to Network Glitch, Here’s What Happened

Bhushan Akolkar
September 22, 2021
Bhushan Akolkar

Bhushan Akolkar

Senior Journalist
Expertise : Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Macro Finance
Bhushan is a seasoned crypto writer with over eight years of experience spanning more than 10,000 contributions across multiple platforms like CoinGape, CoinSpeaker, Bitcoinist, Crypto News Flash, and others. Being a Fintech enthusiast, he loves reporting across Crypto, Blockchain, DeFi, Global Macros with a keen understanding in financial markets. 

He is committed to continuous learning and stays motivated by sharing the knowledge he acquires. In his free time, Bhushan enjoys reading thriller fiction novels and occasionally explores his culinary skills. Bhushan has a bachelors degree in electronics engineering, however, his interest in finance and economics drives him to crypto and blockchain.
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Will Bitcoin Price Recover After $1.7 Billion Liquidation Event?

Monday’s market crash resulted in billion-dollar liquidations in the crypto space. The Bitcoin (BTC) plummeted under $45,000 that day, however, a network glitch on the Pyth platform showed that the BTC price plummeted 90% dropping all the way to $5,400.

The crypto data network Pyth is run by some of Wall streets biggest players. Besides, it provides industrial-grade pricing information for asset classes like stocks and cryptocurrencies. Some of its data feed contributors include giants like FTX, DRW, and the Jump Trading Group. Recently, Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital also joined the Pyth Network.

For a very brief period on Monday, the Pyth Network showed the Bitcoin price as $5,400. The platform made an official statement through its Twitter handle that reads:

Between 12:21 and 12:23 UTC the Pyth BTCUSD aggregate price was below $40,000 – the lowest price reported was $5,402 with a confidence interval of $21,623 (4x the asset reported price) for a single slot – which was off-market relative to the BTC price available on other markets. Engineers are continuing to investigate the cause and a full report is in the works.

Things Have Returned Back to Normal

On Tuesday, things have returned back to normal. Besides, the Pyth platform has unveiled a root cause analysis of what actually resulted in the software glitch.

However, the problem wasn’t just limited to Bitcoin price reporting. Several Solana-based programs relying on the Pyth price were impacted by this incident. As Pyth reported:

The impact was exacerbated due to some programs relying on the aggregate price feed without using the confidence, which allowed liquidations to occur even though the published price was highly uncertain.

The entire Pyth network was down as a result of the outage. Bonfida, a project built on Solana, said that decline resulted in a series of liquidations on the Audaces protocol BTC-PERP market. Audaces is the perpetual futures platform on Bonfida.

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CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights Read more… to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.

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About Author
About Author
Bhushan is a seasoned crypto writer with over eight years of experience spanning more than 10,000 contributions across multiple platforms like CoinGape, CoinSpeaker, Bitcoinist, Crypto News Flash, and others. Being a Fintech enthusiast, he loves reporting across Crypto, Blockchain, DeFi, Global Macros with a keen understanding in financial markets. 

He is committed to continuous learning and stays motivated by sharing the knowledge he acquires. In his free time, Bhushan enjoys reading thriller fiction novels and occasionally explores his culinary skills. Bhushan has a bachelors degree in electronics engineering, however, his interest in finance and economics drives him to crypto and blockchain.
Investment disclaimer: The content reflects the author’s personal views and current market conditions. Please conduct your own research before investing in cryptocurrencies, as neither the author nor the publication is responsible for any financial losses.
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