How Auto-Deleveraging Works on Crypto Perp Platforms and Why It Can Cut Winning Trades
Auto-deleveraging is the emergency brake in crypto perpetuals that cuts part of winning positions when bankrupt liquidations overwhelm market depth and a venue’s remaining buffers, as Ambient Finance Founder Doug Colkitt explains in a new X thread.
Perpetual futures — “perps” in trading shorthand — are cash-settled contracts with no expiry that mirror spot via funding payments, not delivery. Profits and losses net against a shared margin pool rather than shipped coins, which is why, in stress, venues may need to reallocate exposure quickly to keep books balanced.
Colkitt frames ADL as the last step in a risk waterfall.
In normal conditions, a blown-up account is liquidated into the order book near its bankruptcy price. If…
