Bitcoin Futures Soar on Deribit and CME

Introduction to Market Trends

The cryptocurrency market is witnessing notable trends in Bitcoin futures trading, as evidenced by recent data from Deribit and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). These trends suggest increased market participation and potential institutional interest in Bitcoin.

Record High in Bitcoin Perpetual Futures on Deribit

According to an article by Brian Gleenon for The Block that was published yesterday, the open interest in Bitcoin perpetual futures on the Deribit derivatives exchange has reached a yearly high of $740 million. This level, last seen in November 2021 when Bitcoin reached its all-time high of over $68,000, suggests that new money is entering the market, indicating growing participation and potential liquidity.

CME Bitcoin Futures Premium Increase

Justin d’Anethan, Head of Business Development for APAC at Keyrock, has observed a significant premium on CME Bitcoin futures contracts. This premium is interpreted as an indicator of increased institutional participation in the cryptocurrency market. d’Anethan, while speaking to The Block, pointed out the noticeable premium on CME Bitcoin futures contracts. He interpreted this as indicating significant interest from sophisticated investors in gaining exposure to Bitcoin.

Supporting Data from The Block

The Block’s Data Dashboard corroborates d’Anethan’s observation, showing an all-time high for CME Bitcoin long open interest by asset managers. The data reveals nearly $2.2 billion in Bitcoin long open interest held by these institutional players.

Anticipation of Spot Bitcoin ETF Decision

D’Anethan also noted that the current market dynamics are likely influenced by the anticipation of a decision on spot Bitcoin ETFs, expected by mid to end of January. This anticipation is creating pressure on investors who are attempting to front-run the potential influx of capital into the Bitcoin market following the introduction of an easier investment vehicle.

Cautionary Note on Market Volatility

Despite the positive indicators, d’Anethan offered a cautionary note regarding the crypto market’s unpredictability. He suggested that when a large majority is long on Bitcoin, it’s conceivable that significant players might drive prices lower, potentially triggering leveraged long liquidations.

Bitcoin’s Current Market Performance

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at around $41,652, up 5.13% in the past 24-hour period and up 150.38% in the year-to-date period.

Yesterday, pseudonymous crypto analyst Credible Crypto discussed the current Bitcoin rally. He observes that traders using leverage in the perpetual futures market are primarily driving this surge in Bitcoin’s value.

Credible Crypto notes that while a rally led by leveraged traders might not be the most stable foundation for a sustained uptrend, it could indicate the onset of a robust bull market for Bitcoin. He explains that the current market dynamics, characterized by a technically perpetual futures-driven rally rather than a spot-driven one, might not be ideal. However, he anticipates a shift where consistently high funding rates and perpetual futures leading the market become the norm, as typically seen in full-fledged bull markets.

Furthermore, the analyst points out that, despite the leverage-driven rally, there seems to be support from spot market buyers. He suggests that these buyers are not aggressively pushing the price up but are subtly absorbing sell orders during consolidations, preventing any significant price drops. This behavior could indicate a more stealthy but effective form of support for the ongoing Bitcoin rally.

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