Connect with us
  • tg

Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin futures open interest jumps by $1B: Manipulation or hedge?

letizo News

Published

on

Bitcoin’s (BTC) open interest on derivatives exchanges experienced a sudden surge of $1 billion on Sep. 18, prompting investors to question whether whales were accumulating in anticipation of the unsealing of Binance’s court filings.

However, a closer look at derivatives metrics suggests a more nuanced picture, as the funding rate did not exhibit clear signs of excessive buying demand.

The decision to unseal these documents was granted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which had accused Binance of non-cooperation despite previously agreeing to a consent order related to unregistered securities operations and other allegations.

BTC futures aggregate open interest, USD (green, left). Source: CoinGlass

The open interest spiked to $12.1 billion while Bitcoin’s price concurrently increased by 3.4%, the highest point in over two weeks at $27,430.

However, investors soon realized that, aside from a comment by the Binance.US auditor regarding the challenges of ensuring full collateralization, there was little concrete information revealed in the unsealed documents.

Later in the day, Federal Judge Zia Faruqui rejected the SEC’s request to inspect Binance.US’s technical infrastructure and share additional information. Nevertheless, the judge stipulated that Binance.US must furnish more details about its custody solution, casting doubt on whether Binance International ultimately controls these assets.

By the end of Sep. 18, Bitcoin’s open interest had receded to $11.3 billion as its price dropped by 2.4% to $26,770. This decline indicated that the entities behind the open interest surge were no longer inclined to maintain their positions.

These whales were likely disappointed with the court’s outcomes, or the price action may not have unfolded as expected. In any case, 80% of the open interest increase disappeared in less than 24 hours.

Futures’ buyers and sellers are matched at all times

It can be assumed that most of the demand for leverage was driven by bullish sentiment, as Bitcoin’s price climbed alongside the increase in open interest and subsequently plummeted as 80% of the contracts were closed. However, attributing cause and effect solely to Binance’s court rulings seems unwarranted for several reasons.

Firstly, no one anticipated that the unsealed documents would favor Binance or its CEO, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, given that it was the SEC that had originally requested their release. Additionally, the Bitcoin futures contract funding rate, which gauges imbalances between long and short positions, remained largely stable throughout this period.

BTC futures average 8-hour funding rate. Source: CoinGlass

If there had indeed been an unforeseen demand surge of $1 billion in open interest, primarily driven by desperate buyers, it’s reasonable to assume that the funding rate would have spiked above 0.01%. However, quite the opposite unfolded on Sept. 19, as Bitcoin’s open interest expanded to $11.7 billion while the funding rate plunged to zero.

With Bitcoin’s price rallying above $27,200 during this second phase of open interest growth, it becomes increasingly evident that, regardless of the underlying motives, the price pressure tends to be upward. While the exact rationale may remain elusive, certain trading patterns could shed light on this movement.

Market makers’ hedge could explain OI spike

One plausible explanation could be the involvement of market makers executing buy orders on behalf of substantial clients. This would account for the initial enthusiasm in both the spot market and BTC futures, propelling the price higher. After the initial surge, the market maker becomes fully hedged, eliminating the need for further buying and leading to a price correction.

During the second phase of the trade, there is no impact on Bitcoi price, as the market maker must offload the BTC futures contracts and purchase spot Bitcoin. This results in a reduction in open interest and may disappoint some participants who were anticipating additional buying fervor.

Rather than hastily labeling every “Bart” formation as manipulation, it is advisable to delve into the operations of arbitrage desks and carefully analyze the BTC futures funding rate before jumping to conclusions. Thus, when there is no excessive demand for leveraged long positions, an increase in open interest does not necessarily signify a buying spree, as was the case on Sep. 18.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Cryptocurrency

Cardano Price Analysis: Can ADA Crash Below $0.7 This Week?

letizo News

Published

on

Cardano’s price has experienced a massive drop recently following the Ethereum crash. However, things are still looking more positive for ADA, compared to ETH.

By Edris Derakhshi (TradingRage)

The USDT Paired Chart

Against USDT, the cryptocurrency has been consolidating between $1.2 and $0.8 over the past few months, forming a large descending channel pattern.

However, it broke down to the downside during the crypto market crash led by Ethereum, and ADA’s price briefly traded below its 200-day moving average, located around the $0.6 mark, before rebounding higher.

Currently, the price is trying to hold above the $0.8 support level, which would be vital if a bullish shift is bound to occur soon.

ada_price_chart_0502251
Source: TradingView

The BTC Paired Chart

The ADA/BTC chart shows a somewhat similar picture to that of the USDT-paired one. However, ADA is weaker than BTC.

The market has lost a key support level at 900 SAT and is now testing the 200-day moving average, which is located around the 750 SAT level.

In case of a breakdown, a deeper drop toward the 500 SAT area would be imminent. However, as the RSI is showing a clear oversold signal, a pullback toward the 900 SAT level looks more likely at the moment.

ada_price_chart_0502252
Source: TradingView
SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.

Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.

Continue Reading

Cryptocurrency

BitMEX Launches 20 New Altcoin Options Featuring LTC, SUI, LINK, and More

letizo News

Published

on

[PRESS RELEASE – Mahe, Seychelles, February 5th, 2025]

BitMEX, a longstanding cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, has introduced 20 new options contracts, expanding its offerings to include a wider range of altcoins. Traders now have access to options contracts for Litecoin (LTC), Sui (SUI), Chainlink (LINK), Aave (AAVE), and additional assets, providing more instruments for risk management and market engagement.

BitMEX Options provides traders with access to robust market depth and minimal price fluctuations through an Orderbook and a Request-for-Quote (RFQ) interface. The platform supports both single-leg and multi-leg options trading with competitively low minimum sizes. Additionally, the Strategies Dashboard streamlines the execution of advanced options strategies, offering a more efficient trading experience.

Stephan Lutz, CEO of BitMEX said, “With the markets showing more volatility than ever, traders have an opportunity to push their strategies further, and we want to ensure they have every advantage. With this expansion, BitMEX is delivering what traders demand – a wider range of assets whilst empowering them with cutting-edge features that make executing sophisticated strategies effortless. With the addition of 20 new altcoin pairs, it reinforces our commitment to making BitMEX the go-to platform for options trading.”

Options traders can now access options pairs for BTC, ETH, AAVE, ADA, APT, AVAX, BCH, DOGE, FIL, ICP, LDO, LINK, LTC, MMPEPE, MMSHIB, MNT, OP, ORDI, SOL, SUI, TON, TRX, UNI, WLD, and XRP – totalling 26 pairs available for trading on BitMEX Options.

Users can sign up for BitMEX and explore trading options at https://www.bitmex.com/app/options.

About BitMEX

BitMEX is the OG crypto derivatives exchange, providing professional crypto traders with a platform that caters to their needs through low latency, deep crypto native liquidity, and unmatched reliability.

Since its founding, no cryptocurrency has been lost through intrusion or hacking, allowing BitMEX users to trade safely in the knowledge that their funds are secure.

BitMEX was also one of the first exchanges to publish their on-chain Proof of Reserves and Proof of Liabilities data. The exchange continues to publish this data twice a week – providing assurance that they safely store and segregate the funds they are entrusted with.

For more information on BitMEX, users can visit the BitMEX Blog or www.bitmex.com, and follow Telegram, Twitter, Discord, and its online communities.

For further inquiries, users can contact press@bitmex.com.

SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Continue Reading

Cryptocurrency

Ethereum Price Analysis: ETH Plunges 10% Weekly, What’s the Next Target?

letizo News

Published

on

Ethereum’s price is yet to recover from the drop it has been experiencing lately. Therefore, more downside could be expected in the coming weeks.

Technical Analysis

By Edris Derakhshi (TradingRage)

The Daily Chart

On the daily chart, the price has been making lower highs and lows since getting rejected from the resistance at $4,000. Several support levels have been lost in the last few months, especially the 200-day moving average, located around the $3,000 mark.

While the price has already dropped to the $2,200 support and rebounded, there is still the chance for the market to decline lower as long as the cryptocurrency remains below the 200-day moving average.

eth_price_chart_0205251
Source: TradingView

The 4-Hour Chart

Looking at the 4-hour timeframe, the price has gradually declined inside a large falling wedge pattern. While the market broke the pattern to the downside on Monday, it recovered, reclaiming the $2,800 level. Yet, the RSI still shows values below 50%, indicating that the momentum is still bearish.

Therefore, if the price does not break back above the $3,000 level soon, a deeper correction or a longer consolidation could be expected in the coming weeks.

eth_price_chart_0205252
Source: TradingView

Sentiment Analysis

By Edris Derakhshi (TradingRage)

Ethereum Open Interest

As Ethereum’s price is in a steep downtrend, market participants wonder where the price will finally find support. Analyzing the futures market sentiment could provide helpful insights into this situation.

This chart presents the Ethereum funding rates metric, which measures whether the buyers or the sellers are executing their orders aggressively (using market orders) on aggregate. Favourable funding rates indicate bullish sentiment, while negative values show bearish sentiment.

As the chart suggests, the funding rates have dropped significantly following the recent crash. Judging by its current values, it is safe to say that the futures market is no longer overheated. However, without sufficient demand in the spot market, the market will not be able to recover any time soon.

eth_funding_rates_chart_0205241
Source: CryptoQuant
SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).

LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!

Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.

Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.

Continue Reading

Trending

©2021-2024 Letizo All Rights Reserved