Guide
Tesla liquidation heatmap explained
A Tesla liquidation heatmap marks the prices where leveraged positions on the Tesla perpetual would be closed by force: bright bands below the price are longs, bright bands above it are shorts. Ours is not a guess from open interest. It adds up the liquidation prices of real, public open positions. This guide explains how the map is built, how far each leverage sits from the entry, why the US open and results matter, and how to read the map next to the order book.
What the map shows
Tesla perpetual futures let traders hold positions much larger than their margin. If the price moves against a position by roughly one divided by its leverage, the position is closed with a market order: a liquidation. A long is closed by selling, a short by buying back. The heatmap shows where those forced orders would hit the market:
- Below the price (green on our map): longs that would be sold if Tesla falls there.
- Above the price (violet): shorts that would be bought back if Tesla rises there.
- Brightness: the dollar value of the positions with a liquidation price at that level. Brighter means more.
Where Tesla positions get liquidated
The distance to a liquidation depends almost entirely on leverage. For a position opened at $400, with the same leverage steps as the map's filter:
| Leverage | Move that liquidates | Long opened at 400.00 | Short opened at 400.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2× | 47.5 % | 210.00 | 590.00 |
| 3× | 30.8 % | 276.67 | 523.33 |
| 5× | 17.5 % | 330.00 | 470.00 |
| 10× | 7.5 % | 370.00 | 430.00 |
| 20× | 2.5 % | 390.00 | 410.00 |
Simplified: entry × (1 − 1/leverage + maintenance margin) for a long, entry × (1 + 1/leverage − maintenance margin) for a short, with an assumed 2.5 % maintenance margin and no fees or added margin. Real liquidation prices differ a little, which is why the map uses the price reported for each position. $400 is a round example, not a price level.
Large US stocks can move several percent in a session, and more after results, so the bands from high leverage near the price are created and wiped out again all the time, while the bands from low leverage need a real trend to be reached.
How our Tesla heatmap is built
- Swiftedge follows public open positions on on-chain Tesla perpetual futures, each with the liquidation price the exchange reports for it. Nothing is assumed about leverage: it is read from the positions.
- Every 5 minutes the positions are added up by liquidation price: longs below the price, shorts above.
- A position that is closed or liquidated leaves the map. One column is kept every 15 minutes, for up to seven days.
- The live page compares what the map had waiting at the prices the market reached with the liquidations that really happened, and prints the score next to a baseline, so you can judge the map yourself.
This is part of the market, not all of it: positions Swiftedge does not follow, and positions on other venues, are not on the map, so every total is a lower bound. The leverage mix of the positions on the map is printed on the live page and changes as traders open and close positions.
What is different about Tesla
- The US open and results. The stock trades from 09:30 to 16:00 ET, and the open is usually the busiest moment of the day. Results come after the 16:00 close, usually in late January, April, July and October, a few weeks after its quarterly delivery numbers; the stock then trades only after hours, while the perpetual trades on as usual, so bands near the price can be cleared within minutes on a results night.
- Nights, weekends and holidays. From Friday 20:00 to Monday 04:00 ET and on US market holidays the stock does not trade on the exchanges. The perpetual keeps trading on a thin book, so weekend news can push it through bands before the stock trades again. Tesla trading sessions lists every time.
- Data and the Fed. US data at 08:30 ET and Fed decisions at 14:00 ET move the whole stock market. The economic calendar shows what is due and how much markets moved last time.
- Bigger moves. Tesla usually moves more than most large US stocks in percentage terms, so its high-leverage bands near the price are reached and cleared more often.
How to read it
- Bands are forced orders waiting to happen, not orders in the book. Nothing rests in the order book at a liquidation price until it is triggered. To see the orders that are really there, use the Tesla order book heatmap; the difference is explained in liquidation heatmap vs order book heatmap.
- Watch the real liquidations next to it. The Liquidations indicator in Tesla Depth draws every real liquidation on the live chart, so you can see which bands were hit.
- Check funding, open interest and positioning. Rising open interest with high funding means new leveraged longs, which is what fills the bands below the price: Tesla funding rate, Tesla open interest and Tesla Positioning.
See where Tesla liquidations sit right now.The live map is rebuilt every 5 minutes from public open positions and checked against real liquidations. Free, no sign-up.
Open the Tesla liquidation heatmapCommon questions
Is there a free Tesla liquidation heatmap?
Yes. The Swiftedge Tesla liquidation heatmap is free, needs no sign-up and is rebuilt every 5 minutes from the liquidation prices of public open positions.
How accurate is the Tesla liquidation heatmap?
It shows real positions, but only part of the market, so the totals are a lower bound. The live page compares the map with the liquidations that really happened and prints the score next to a baseline.
Why do bands disappear?
A band shrinks or disappears when the positions behind it are closed, have margin added or are liquidated. When price trades through a band, the positions there are usually liquidated, so they leave the map.
Does Tesla move to the brightest band?
The map shows where forced orders could appear, not where the price will go. We do not claim bands act as magnets, and nothing on this page is a forecast or advice.
Where can I see real Tesla liquidations?
Live on the chart in Tesla Depth with the Liquidations indicator, next to the order book heatmap and the trades.
When are Tesla liquidations most likely?
Around the 09:30 ET open, US data at 08:30 ET, Fed decisions, and results after the 16:00 ET close, when the perpetual trades on while the stock is only in after-hours trading.
Is the Tesla perpetual open at the weekend?
Yes, it trades 24/7 while the stock market is closed. Weekend moves are usually on thin volume, and the price can jump through bands when the stock trades again on Monday. Tesla trading sessions lists every time.