Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Open Interest Reaches All-Time High Of $36.3 Billion: Here’s Why
Bitcoin futures interest tapped an all-time high in US dollar terms on Monday, reaching over 500,000 BTC worth $36.3 billion.
Analysts say the overwhelming surge in open interest relates to a clever arbitrage play levied by institutional traders between Bitcoin’s futures and spot markets.
The Cash And Carry Trade
In a Tuesday newsletter, lead Glassnode analyst James Check theorized that leveraged funds are simultaneously shorting Bitcoin on the CME while buying up coins in equal measure via the Bitcoin spot ETFs.
“These traders are holding a delta-neutral position, where they are not exposed to the price risk of Bitcoin, as they equal parts long and short,” wrote Check.
This technique is widely known as the “cash and carry trade,” which is utilized by traders whenever a large premium develops between a commodity’s futures and spot prices.
This is often the case with Bitcoin, where perpetual swap traders are currently willing to pay a 10% premium to shorts for the privilege of being long Bitcoin with leverage.
At the time of Check’s post, Bitcoin was trading at $68,400 while the December 2024 futures contract traded for $73,200. At this premium, users of the cash and carry strategy could effectively earn a 6.4% annualized yield, virtually devoid of risk.
“Unless the trader makes a serious mistake with their collateral management, it is highly unlikely these positions are at risk of a margin call or liquidation,” Check wrote.
Arbitrage Traders In Bitcoin
Since the start of the year, Bitcoin futures open interest has grown by 21% (92,000 BTC) in Bitcoin terms, and by 100% in USD terms. Much of the explosive growth occurred in the CME – a home for US-based institutional futures traders.
In Check’s view, this explains why Bitcoin has seen relatively little price volatility in recent weeks despite a resurgence of inflows worth 25,000 BTC last week. While the cash and carry trade has been available to crypto native firms for years, Bitcoin ETFs have made it plausible for a new swath of investors to take advantage of it.
Check said the net impact of the cash and carry trade on boosting or suppressing Bitcoin’s price is “little.” However, users of the strategy add depth to markets and keep spot and futures markets moving closely together.
“What we really need for the market to get moving again is a serious impulse of non-arbitrage demand, which overwhelms spot sell-side from HODLers and existing holders,” he concluded.
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Cryptocurrency
Cardano Price Analysis: Can ADA Crash Below $0.7 This Week?
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.
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.
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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.
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Cryptocurrency
BitMEX Launches 20 New Altcoin Options Featuring LTC, SUI, LINK, and More
[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.
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Cryptocurrency
Ethereum Price Analysis: ETH Plunges 10% Weekly, What’s the Next Target?
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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