Bitcoin hits $68K but BTC futures, macro data show traders remain bearish

3 hours ago

Key takeaways:

  • Bitcoin reclaimed $68,000 arsenic President Trump hinted astatine ending the Iran War adjacent if the Strait of Hormuz remained partially closed.

  • Bitcoin derivatives information amusement precocious fear, with enactment options astatine a premium and debased request for bullish leveraged trades.

Bitcoin (BTC) rallied to $68,000 connected Monday pursuing the gains successful the S&P 500 aft US President Donald Trump suggested that the medication whitethorn see ways to extremity the US and Israel-Iran warfare without a afloat reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, Bitcoin traders person kept a bearish stance according to derivatives metrics, indicating small assurance that the $66,000 level volition clasp for overmuch longer.

S&P 500 futures (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD (right). Source: TradingView

Bitcoin’s momentary dip to $66,000 occurred connected the aforesaid time that Google probe analysts claimed that the elliptic curve discrete logarithm occupation (ECDLP) could beryllium cracked with 20 times little quantum computing power. However, immoderate traders rapidly realized that the entangled logical carnal qubits needed for a palmy onslaught stay far-fetched, fixed the instrumentality presently successful existence.

Bitcoin 2-month futures annualized premium. Source: Laevitas.ch

The Bitcoin monthly futures contracts annualized premium comparative to regular spot markets stood astatine 2% connected Tuesday, level from the anterior week. Numbers beneath 4% bespeak a deficiency of request for bullish leverage arsenic shorts (sellers) typically request a premium to compensate for the longer colony period. More importantly, not adjacent the terms rally supra $71,000 connected Wednesday was capable to marque investors consciousness bullish.

Bitcoin derivatives amusement constricted request for bullish leverage

Bitcoin terms signaled spot by holding supra $66,000 for the past week portion the S&P 500 plummeted to its lowest level successful 7 months connected Monday. Crude lipid prices surged supra $100 connected Friday and this enactment cautiously. Expectations for monetary argumentation easing successful the US dropped sharply implicit the past period arsenic the unit connected substance prices drove ostentation upward.

Interest complaint people probabilities for the July FOMC meeting. Source: CME FedWatch Tool

Traders present expect little than 10% likelihood of involvement complaint cuts by the US Federal Reserve by July, down from 75% 1 period ago, according to CME FedWatch Tool data. A higher outgo of superior favors fixed-income investments, holds backmost user spending and reduces incentives for companies to grow. This concern puts an other load connected the already weakened US occupation market.

To recognize if nonrecreational traders are leaning bearish, 1 should look astatine the Bitcoin options market.

Bitcoin 30-day options delta skew (put-call) astatine Deribit. Source: Laevitas.ch

On Tuesday, Bitcoin enactment (sell) options traded astatine a 17% premium compared to telephone (buy) options. This level is usually linked to utmost fearfulness of terms drops. A scope of -6% to +6% is expected successful balanced markets, which past happened successful mid-January. Whales and marketplace makers are intelligibly not comfy holding downside risk, adjacent though Bitcoin has already declined 23% truthful acold successful 2026.

Related: Hyperliquid whale opens $53M Bitcoin short–Should traders instrumentality notice?

Bitcoin’s resilience adjacent $67,000 suggests that the quantum computing fears were rapidly dismissed, but thing other mightiness beryllium down the deficiency of excitement. Traders could beryllium expecting economical stimulus packages arsenic recession risks emerge. In the aboriginal stages, specified packages often enactment the banal marketplace much than they enactment Bitcoin.

Currently, astir radical spot Bitcoin arsenic a risky plus alternatively than a haven, which explains the bearish temper successful Bitcoin derivatives. Therefore, 1 should not presume that traders are waiting for prices beneath $60,000 conscionable due to the fact that determination is anemic request for bullish leveraged positions.

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