Bitcoin (BTC) derivatives saw a sharp spike in activity early on Monday, February 16, with the daily funding rates going up more than 140%.
In general terms, the jump implies that leveraged traders aggressively expanded their bullish exposure as perpetual futures were trading at a notable premium to the spot market. Long-position holders are paying increasingly high fees to maintain their bets that Bitcoin is going to rebound.
At the same time, BTC open interest remained largely flat, losing only 0.08%, signaling that the funding spike was not accompanied by a meaningful influx of fresh capital.
Simply put, the surge likely reflects a repositioning of existing traders rather than a wave of new participants entering the market.
Does Bitcoin have short-term momentum?
When funding rates jump up without a corresponding increase in open interest, it’s usually the case that the current traders are becoming more confident in the asset, not that the market itself is expanding.
This can still support short-term upside momentum, however, especially if spot demand begins to follow. Still, it also increases the risk of a long squeeze. Namely, if Bitcoin fails the bulls and does not in fact rebound, overleveraged long positions could be forced to unwind rapidly as the price falls.
As can be expected, such liquidations tend to amplify downside volatility, creating cascading sell pressure in a compressed timeframe.
Bitcoin price still down
While a number of traders might be optimistic, Bitcoin prices have slipped around 1% on the daily chart to roughly $68,520 at press time.
At first glance, the divergence between rising funding rates and a softening spot price appears illogical. However, the explosion in funding rates only suggests that traders are expecting a bounce, one that is yet to materialize on the charts.
Indeed, as mentioned, unless buyers step up their game and make a decisive push, elevated leverage could leave the market vulnerable to a sharper corrective move. The derivatives market alone reflects growing optimism, while the spot price action itself is yet to confirm a sustained shift in momentum.
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