Bitcoin‘s value recently dropped to a seven-week low of around $109,000, triggering forced liquidations within the derivatives market. This led to approximately a 2% drop in the total value of the cryptocurrency market. According to CoinGlass, over $900 million in leveraged positions have been liquidated in the past 24 hours, mostly due to long trades. Experts point to increased nervousness over upcoming macroeconomic data as the cause of this short-term market turmoil.
What Drives Bitcoin’s Volatility?
Dr. Sean Dawson, Research Director at Derive.xyz, commented on the tumultuous start of the week for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin’s daily volatility rose dramatically from 15% to 38%, while Ethereum’s hit 70%. This spike is attributed to economic concerns following higher-than-predicted U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) data. Investors are now considering hedging strategies ahead of GDP figures on August 28 and employment data, expected in early September.
The options market also saw the 25-delta skew indicator dip into negative territory, indicating a surge in demand for BTC and ETH put options. Dawson observed that interest in downside protection reached new highs in the past two weeks. Derive’s data highlights a potential retest of $100,000 for Bitcoin and a $4,000 target for Ethereum by end of September.
Will Institutional Players Influence Market Trends?
Institutional investors have continued their buying activities despite market fluctuations. Strategy added 3,081 BTC, worth $357 million, to its holdings on Monday. Meanwhile, BitMine Immersion increased its Bitcoin assets by $2.2 billion last week. Notably, spot Ethereum ETFs attracted a daily net inflow of $444 million, outpacing Bitcoin ETFs.
The macroeconomic environment remains complicated due to uncertainty about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate moves. Last week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s dovish slant at the Jackson Hole meeting soothed some concerns, but President Donald Trump’s effort to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook has raised questions about the Fed’s independence. The CME FedWatch tool is currently predicting an 84.3% likelihood of a rate cut at the September meeting.
“Investors are watching closely, as market sentiment could shift quickly with any new data,” remarked Timothy Misir, Research Head at BRN.
With constant flux and influences from macroeconomic factors and institutional movements, traders should watch key support levels closely:
- Bitcoin’s ability to hold above $103,700 and $100,800 may be critical for the short-term stability of the market.
- The substantial inflow into Ethereum ETFs might signal a shift in institutional betting preferences.
- Leveraged liquidation has cleaned the market but brought a fragile equilibrium.
Traders and investors are navigating a complex and volatile landscape as macroeconomic signals and institutional activities intersect to shape the near-term future of cryptocurrencies.
