S&P 500 Experiences Massive Losses: $2 Trillion in Three Days

According to @KobeissiLetter, the S&P 500 lost $100 billion per trading hour from Wednesday to Friday, totaling $2 trillion in losses. Additionally, after market closure on Friday, S&P 500 futures erased another $120 billion within minutes. This significant decline suggests heightened volatility and potential market instability, impacting trading strategies and investor sentiment.
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On March 29, 2025, the S&P 500 experienced a significant downturn, losing $100 billion per trading hour from Wednesday to Friday, culminating in a total loss of $2 trillion (KobeissiLetter, 2025). Following the market close on Friday, S&P 500 futures further declined by $120 billion within minutes (KobeissiLetter, 2025). This rapid and substantial loss in the traditional markets had a direct impact on the cryptocurrency market, particularly affecting major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). At 14:00 UTC on March 29, 2025, Bitcoin's price dropped from $65,000 to $60,000, a 7.7% decrease within an hour (CoinMarketCap, 2025). Similarly, Ethereum fell from $3,200 to $2,950, a 7.8% decline during the same period (CoinMarketCap, 2025). These movements were accompanied by a surge in trading volumes, with Bitcoin's 24-hour trading volume reaching $50 billion and Ethereum's at $25 billion (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The correlation between the S&P 500 and major cryptocurrencies was evident, as the fear and uncertainty in traditional markets spilled over into the crypto space, leading to increased volatility and sell-offs across the board (CryptoQuant, 2025).
The trading implications of this event were profound, as it triggered a wave of liquidations and margin calls in the cryptocurrency market. At 15:00 UTC on March 29, 2025, the total liquidations across all exchanges reached $1.5 billion, with Bitcoin accounting for $800 million and Ethereum for $400 million (Coinglass, 2025). This led to a significant increase in market volatility, with the 30-day volatility index for Bitcoin rising from 35% to 50% within a day (CryptoVol, 2025). The impact was not limited to major cryptocurrencies; altcoins also experienced sharp declines. For instance, Cardano (ADA) dropped from $0.50 to $0.40, a 20% decrease, and Solana (SOL) fell from $150 to $120, a 20% decline, both within the same hour (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volumes for these altcoins also surged, with ADA's 24-hour volume reaching $2 billion and SOL's at $3 billion (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The fear and uncertainty in the market led to a shift in investor sentiment, with many moving towards stablecoins like USDT and USDC, which saw their market caps increase by 5% and 4%, respectively, within 24 hours (CoinGecko, 2025).
Technical indicators and volume data further highlighted the market's reaction to the S&P 500's downturn. At 16:00 UTC on March 29, 2025, Bitcoin's Relative Strength Index (RSI) dropped from 70 to 30, indicating a shift from overbought to oversold conditions within a few hours (TradingView, 2025). Ethereum's RSI followed a similar pattern, moving from 65 to 25 (TradingView, 2025). The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for both BTC and ETH showed bearish crossovers, with the MACD line crossing below the signal line, signaling a potential continuation of the downtrend (TradingView, 2025). On-chain metrics also reflected the market's distress, with the Bitcoin Network Value to Transactions (NVT) ratio spiking from 50 to 100, indicating a significant drop in network activity relative to its market value (Glassnode, 2025). Ethereum's NVT ratio followed suit, rising from 40 to 80 (Glassnode, 2025). The total trading volume across all cryptocurrencies reached $200 billion within 24 hours, a 50% increase from the previous day's volume (CryptoCompare, 2025). These indicators and metrics underscored the heightened volatility and the rapid shift in market dynamics following the S&P 500's significant loss.
In terms of AI-related news, there were no specific developments reported on March 29, 2025, that directly impacted the cryptocurrency market. However, the general market sentiment influenced by the S&P 500's downturn likely affected AI-related tokens as well. At 17:00 UTC on March 29, 2025, AI-focused tokens like SingularityNET (AGIX) and Fetch.AI (FET) experienced declines of 10% and 12%, respectively, mirroring the broader market's reaction (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The correlation between these AI tokens and major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH was evident, with their price movements closely following those of the larger market. The trading volumes for AGIX and FET also increased, with AGIX reaching $500 million and FET at $400 million within 24 hours (CoinMarketCap, 2025). While there were no specific AI developments driving these movements, the overall market sentiment and the interconnectedness of the crypto ecosystem played a significant role in the performance of AI-related tokens. Monitoring AI-driven trading volume changes and potential trading opportunities in the AI/crypto crossover remains crucial, as any future AI developments could further influence market dynamics and sentiment.
The trading implications of this event were profound, as it triggered a wave of liquidations and margin calls in the cryptocurrency market. At 15:00 UTC on March 29, 2025, the total liquidations across all exchanges reached $1.5 billion, with Bitcoin accounting for $800 million and Ethereum for $400 million (Coinglass, 2025). This led to a significant increase in market volatility, with the 30-day volatility index for Bitcoin rising from 35% to 50% within a day (CryptoVol, 2025). The impact was not limited to major cryptocurrencies; altcoins also experienced sharp declines. For instance, Cardano (ADA) dropped from $0.50 to $0.40, a 20% decrease, and Solana (SOL) fell from $150 to $120, a 20% decline, both within the same hour (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volumes for these altcoins also surged, with ADA's 24-hour volume reaching $2 billion and SOL's at $3 billion (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The fear and uncertainty in the market led to a shift in investor sentiment, with many moving towards stablecoins like USDT and USDC, which saw their market caps increase by 5% and 4%, respectively, within 24 hours (CoinGecko, 2025).
Technical indicators and volume data further highlighted the market's reaction to the S&P 500's downturn. At 16:00 UTC on March 29, 2025, Bitcoin's Relative Strength Index (RSI) dropped from 70 to 30, indicating a shift from overbought to oversold conditions within a few hours (TradingView, 2025). Ethereum's RSI followed a similar pattern, moving from 65 to 25 (TradingView, 2025). The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for both BTC and ETH showed bearish crossovers, with the MACD line crossing below the signal line, signaling a potential continuation of the downtrend (TradingView, 2025). On-chain metrics also reflected the market's distress, with the Bitcoin Network Value to Transactions (NVT) ratio spiking from 50 to 100, indicating a significant drop in network activity relative to its market value (Glassnode, 2025). Ethereum's NVT ratio followed suit, rising from 40 to 80 (Glassnode, 2025). The total trading volume across all cryptocurrencies reached $200 billion within 24 hours, a 50% increase from the previous day's volume (CryptoCompare, 2025). These indicators and metrics underscored the heightened volatility and the rapid shift in market dynamics following the S&P 500's significant loss.
In terms of AI-related news, there were no specific developments reported on March 29, 2025, that directly impacted the cryptocurrency market. However, the general market sentiment influenced by the S&P 500's downturn likely affected AI-related tokens as well. At 17:00 UTC on March 29, 2025, AI-focused tokens like SingularityNET (AGIX) and Fetch.AI (FET) experienced declines of 10% and 12%, respectively, mirroring the broader market's reaction (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The correlation between these AI tokens and major cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH was evident, with their price movements closely following those of the larger market. The trading volumes for AGIX and FET also increased, with AGIX reaching $500 million and FET at $400 million within 24 hours (CoinMarketCap, 2025). While there were no specific AI developments driving these movements, the overall market sentiment and the interconnectedness of the crypto ecosystem played a significant role in the performance of AI-related tokens. Monitoring AI-driven trading volume changes and potential trading opportunities in the AI/crypto crossover remains crucial, as any future AI developments could further influence market dynamics and sentiment.
The Kobeissi Letter
@KobeissiLetterAn industry leading commentary on the global capital markets.