A massive burst of aggressive selling hit Bitcoin markets, raising questions about what triggered the sudden wave of liquidation pressure. Bitcoin taker sell volume surged to $161.8 million in a single minute, the kind of aggressive selling that doesn’t politely wait in the order book but instead steamrolls through resting bids. What taker sell volume actually tells usTaker sell volume measures the notional value of market sell orders that cross the order book immediately. How this compares to recent historyIn May 2026, Bitcoin saw over $1.6 billion in hourly taker sell volume, a stretch that makes this latest spike look almost modest by comparison. The mechanics behind the mayhemLarge taker sell events can originate from multiple sources.