Have you ever watched a token you held suddenly lose a big chunk of its value in a single day simply because an exchange decided it no longer belonged on their platform? That exact scenario played out this week when one of the largest crypto exchanges announced it would remove two smaller tokens from its listings. The news hit hard and fast, sending prices lower almost immediately and leaving many holders scrambling for answers.
What Triggered The Sudden Price Drop For These Two Tokens
On October 14 the exchange confirmed plans to delist both Epic Chain, known as EPIC, and QuickSwap, known as QUICK. All spot trading pairs for the two assets will shut down at 03:00 UTC on October 28. The announcement alone was enough to push QUICK down roughly 20 percent over a 24-hour window while EPIC slipped a bit more than 10 percent in the same period. I’ve seen this pattern before with other removals, and the market rarely reacts gently.
According to available market data, QUICK was trading near 0.008169 dollars after the 19.67 percent daily decline. Its seven-day performance looked even weaker at a 15.52 percent loss, leaving the project with a market capitalization around 5.37 million dollars. Daily trading volume sat near 1.47 million dollars with a circulating supply of about 660 million tokens. Those numbers paint a picture of a relatively small asset that relies heavily on the visibility a major exchange provides.
EPIC showed a slightly milder reaction in percentage terms. It hovered near 0.4001 dollars after a 10.54 percent drop over 24 hours and a 16.10 percent decline across the previous week. Market capitalization landed around 13.48 million dollars while daily volume reached roughly 10 million dollars. Circulating supply stood near 34 million tokens. Interestingly, short-term price action right after the announcement told a slightly different story. QUICK fell about 10 percent within minutes of the news and was still down 6.69 percent roughly 17 minutes later. EPIC initially dropped close to 9 percent before bouncing and trading about 5.61 percent above its pre-announcement level for a brief stretch. Different time frames produce different snapshots, so the later 24-hour figures remain the cleaner reference point.
Why The Exchange Chose These Particular Assets
The official notice stated that both tokens no longer met the platform’s ongoing listing standards. No single dramatic violation was called out. Instead the review process examined a range of factors that exchanges commonly weigh when deciding which projects stay and which ones leave. Liquidity levels, trading volume consistency, ongoing development activity, network security, team communication with token holders, and overall project commitment all play a role. Changes in token supply dynamics or shifts in ownership and leadership can also tip the scales.
Both assets had already been carrying a monitoring designation for months. QUICK received that closer-scrutiny label on April 30 and EPIC followed on May 22. The tags themselves do not guarantee removal, yet they signal that the exchange has concerns and will continue watching. In my experience those labels often act as an early warning. Some projects improve enough to shed the tag. Others eventually move to the delisting list once subsequent reviews confirm the issues persist.
Earlier in August the same exchange removed six other cryptocurrencies after a similar periodic review. Separate deadlines for trading, futures, and withdrawals applied then as well. The pattern feels familiar. Exchanges periodically clean house to keep their markets focused on assets that still demonstrate healthy activity and clear progress. It is rarely personal. It is simply business risk management on a large scale.
The Exact Timeline Of Service Shutdowns
The removal process unfolds in stages rather than all at once. Understanding the calendar helps holders avoid unpleasant surprises. On October 15 the Buy & Sell Crypto feature stops supporting both tokens at 03:00 UTC. Margin borrowing involving EPIC or QUICK ends at 06:00 UTC the same day.
October 20 brings a heavier set of changes. Pool and payment services stop supporting the tokens at 03:00 UTC. Outstanding VIP Loan and Flexible Loan positions close at 07:00 UTC. Futures traders lose the ability to open new positions at 08:30 UTC, and remaining futures contracts settle automatically at 09:00 UTC. Margin services remove the tokens from cross, isolated, and portfolio margin offerings at 10:00 UTC. Any leftover positions may close automatically with collateral used to cover liabilities where needed.
The exchange also reserved the right to introduce temporary protective measures during periods of unusual volatility. Those could include tighter leverage limits, adjusted maintenance margin requirements, or changes to funding rates. Smart traders usually close positions early rather than wait for forced settlements.
On October 21 Spot Copy Trading removes the affected pairs at 03:00 UTC. Remaining holdings may sell at market prices or transfer into users’ spot accounts. Simple Earn products discontinue support after 07:00 UTC, automatically redeeming Flexible and Locked positions and moving principal plus rewards into spot wallets.
Final Trading And Withdrawal Windows
Low-value asset conversion stops supporting the tokens on October 27 at 02:00 UTC. The Convert service removes both assets and their pairs on October 28 at 02:00 UTC. One hour later every remaining spot trading pair closes. Outstanding orders cancel automatically and any trading bots linked to those markets shut down.
Deposits stop receiving credit after 03:00 UTC on October 29. The exchange specifically told users not to send the tokens after that point. Withdrawals, however, stay open much longer. Users can still move funds out until 03:00 UTC on December 28. That two-month window gives people time to transfer holdings to other platforms or self-custody wallets.
Balances left after December 29 could face conversion into stablecoins, though the exchange stressed that such conversion is not guaranteed. A separate notice would appear if that step proceeds. If conversion proves impossible, withdrawals might remain available longer depending on network conditions. In short, holders still control their timeline as long as they act before the final deadline.
How Markets Typically React To Major Exchange Removals
Price drops of this magnitude are not unusual when a large platform announces a delisting. Liquidity often concentrates on the biggest exchanges. Once that primary venue disappears, the remaining markets can thin out quickly. Spreads widen, volatility spikes, and selling pressure intensifies as holders rush for the exit. Smaller tokens feel the effect more sharply because their overall trading activity was already modest.
I’ve noticed that the first 24 to 48 hours usually deliver the steepest percentage moves. After that the decline can slow, but recovery is far from automatic. Some projects manage to maintain or even grow activity on other venues. Others fade further as attention shifts elsewhere. The presence of derivatives markets can amplify the move in either direction until those contracts also settle.
In this case the futures settlement arrives on October 20, more than a week before spot trading ends. That sequencing reduces the chance of prolonged leveraged chaos. Still, the spot market will operate without the futures safety valve for several days, which can produce its own brand of unpredictability.
What The Monitoring Tag Actually Means For Token Holders
The monitoring designation serves as a public signal that an asset has raised enough questions to warrant extra oversight. It does not freeze trading or block deposits. Users can still buy, sell, and hold the token while the review continues. Yet the label often changes market psychology. Some traders treat it as a yellow flag and reduce exposure. Others ignore it until a formal delisting notice appears.
In April and May the two tokens joined a group of assets under closer watch. Months later the exchange completed its assessment and decided removal was appropriate. The same process has played out with other projects. A handful improve their metrics and leave the monitoring list. Most that stay under scrutiny for an extended period eventually face the same outcome seen here.
Perhaps the most useful takeaway for holders of any monitored token is simple: treat the label as an invitation to reassess risk. Check development activity, review team communication, and examine whether liquidity remains healthy across multiple venues. Waiting until the delisting announcement arrives leaves fewer options.
Practical Steps Holders Should Consider Right Now
Anyone still holding EPIC or QUICK on the platform has a clear calendar to work with. The first priority is deciding whether to sell before spot trading ends or to withdraw the tokens for storage elsewhere. Selling early avoids the risk of thinner order books closer to the final trading day. Withdrawing early avoids any last-minute network congestion or technical hiccups.
- Review open futures, margin, and loan positions immediately and close them before the October 20 deadlines.
- Cancel any open spot orders that will no longer execute after October 28.
- Disable or reconfigure trading bots linked to the affected pairs.
- Move tokens to an external wallet or another exchange well before the December 28 withdrawal cutoff.
- Avoid depositing additional funds after the October 29 deposit cutoff.
Those steps sound basic, yet many people overlook them until the last moment. I’ve watched accounts get stuck with residual balances simply because the holder assumed everything would convert automatically. The exchange has made clear that automatic conversion is not assured.
Broader Implications For Smaller Crypto Projects
Every major exchange delisting serves as a reminder that listing is never permanent. Projects must continue demonstrating real progress, maintaining healthy liquidity, and communicating clearly with their communities. When those elements weaken, the largest platforms eventually notice. Smaller exchanges may continue listing the tokens, yet the loss of a top-tier venue usually reduces visibility and can shrink the overall user base.
For the wider market the event is relatively contained. Neither token ranked among the largest assets, so systemic impact remains limited. Still, the episode reinforces a long-standing truth: concentration of liquidity on a few major platforms creates both opportunity and vulnerability. Tokens that thrive mainly because of one exchange’s support face steeper cliffs when that support ends.
Developers and community members of both projects now face the task of proving the tokens retain value outside the departing platform. Some teams respond with renewed roadmaps, partnerships, or incentives. Others go quiet. The coming weeks will reveal which path each project chooses.
Looking At The Numbers More Closely
Market capitalization figures help put the size of the move into perspective. QUICK’s roughly 5.37 million dollar valuation and EPIC’s 13.48 million dollar valuation place both firmly in the micro-cap category. Daily volumes of 1.47 million and 10 million dollars respectively show that EPIC still attracted more active trading interest even after the news. That difference may partly explain why EPIC’s percentage decline was milder than QUICK’s.
Circulating supplies also differ sharply. QUICK’s 660 million tokens versus EPIC’s 34 million create different unit economics. Lower-priced tokens with larger supplies often experience more dramatic percentage swings when selling pressure arrives. Higher-priced tokens with tighter supplies can show more resilience in percentage terms even when absolute dollar selling remains comparable.
None of these metrics guarantee future performance. They simply provide context for why the market reacted the way it did. Liquidity, not just market cap, ultimately determines how orderly or disorderly an exit becomes.
Historical Context From Previous Removal Rounds
This is far from the first time the exchange has conducted a multi-token cleanup. The August round that included six assets followed the same general structure: advance notice, staged service shutdowns, and an extended withdrawal window. In most of those earlier cases prices dropped on the announcement and continued to struggle afterward unless the project found strong alternative venues or delivered meaningful updates.
The monitoring-tag system has also evolved into a reliable early indicator. Assets that spend many months under the tag without clear improvement often end up on later delisting lists. That pattern held true for both EPIC and QUICK. The exchange appears to give projects time to address concerns, yet it also follows through when those concerns remain unresolved.
From a risk-management standpoint the approach makes sense. Exchanges face regulatory pressure, operational costs, and reputational risk. Keeping assets that show thin liquidity or limited ongoing development eventually becomes harder to justify. Periodic reviews help keep the platform focused on markets that still attract genuine interest.
What Users Should Watch In The Coming Weeks
Between now and October 28 the spot markets for both tokens will remain open, though liquidity may deteriorate as the deadline approaches. Volatility could spike around the futures settlement on October 20 and again near the final spot close. After October 28 trading will shift entirely to other venues if any remain active.
The long withdrawal window until late December gives holders breathing room, but it also creates a slow bleed of attention. Projects that fail to generate positive news during that period often see further price erosion. Conversely, teams that use the time to announce new partnerships, technical upgrades, or community initiatives sometimes stabilize the situation.
I find the most interesting question is not whether the tokens will trade lower in the short term—they already have—but whether either project can rebuild meaningful activity without the support of one of the industry’s largest platforms. That answer will unfold gradually over the next several months.
Risk Management Lessons For Everyday Crypto Participants
Events like this reinforce a few practical habits. Diversifying across multiple exchanges reduces the impact of any single platform’s decisions. Keeping a portion of holdings in self-custody wallets provides an exit path when trading venues change. Monitoring official announcements rather than relying solely on social media chatter helps avoid last-minute surprises.
Position sizing also matters. Tokens that already carry monitoring tags or show declining volume deserve smaller allocations relative to more established assets. The potential upside may still exist, yet the downside risk of a delisting becomes more tangible once the warning signs appear.
Finally, understanding the full service calendar—futures, margin, earn products, deposits, and withdrawals—prevents technical issues from compounding market losses. Many of the headaches that accompany delistings stem from overlooked deadlines rather than the price move itself.
The Human Side Of Token Removals
Behind every percentage drop sits a group of people who believed in the project enough to hold the tokens. Some bought early and already sit in profit. Others entered more recently and now face an unexpected paper loss. The emotional reaction often runs stronger than the pure financial calculation. Watching a position drop 15 or 20 percent in a day tests conviction even when the broader portfolio remains healthy.
Clear communication from project teams can ease some of that stress. Silence tends to amplify uncertainty. In the days following a delisting announcement, the most constructive teams usually publish updates outlining next steps, alternative trading venues, and development priorities. Whether EPIC and QUICK follow that path remains to be seen, but the opportunity exists.
For the rest of the market the episode serves mainly as a case study. Liquidity is fragile. Exchange support is temporary. Projects that treat listing as a permanent achievement rather than an ongoing responsibility often discover the difference the hard way.
Final Thoughts On Navigating The Current Situation
The October 14 announcement set a clear process in motion. Spot trading ends October 28. Most leveraged and ancillary services shut down earlier. Withdrawals remain available until late December. Prices have already adjusted downward, with QUICK absorbing the larger percentage hit. Holders still have time to act, yet the window is finite.
Whether these two tokens eventually recover depends far more on the strength of their underlying projects than on any single exchange decision. Markets forget delistings faster than they forget broken promises or stalled development. The next few weeks will reveal how each team responds under pressure.
In the meantime the practical advice stays straightforward. Close leveraged positions early. Decide whether to sell or withdraw. Move assets before the final deadlines. And treat monitoring tags on other holdings as genuine signals rather than background noise. The crypto market rewards preparation far more often than it rewards last-minute improvisation.
This latest round of removals is simply the latest chapter in an ongoing story. Exchanges will continue reviewing their lists. Some tokens will leave. Others will arrive. The participants who stay informed and act deliberately tend to navigate those transitions with far less drama than those who wait for the final notice. The calendar is public. The choices are still in the hands of each holder.
