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Bitcoin at 'Risk of Falling,' Ether ETFs Lackluster Performance Dismays Traders

Data shows that broader crypto markets lost just under 1% in the past 24 hours.

Updated Oct 7, 2023, 7:23 a.m. Published Oct 6, 2023, 7:02 a.m.
bull and bear (Getty)

Bitcoin (BTC) could be at risk of a short-term reversal following recent price bumps, while the dismal performance of ether (ETH) futures exchange-traded funds (ETF) weighed down on crypto majors.

“Bitcoin continues to tend to sell on growth, failing to make a fresh attack on the 200-day moving average,” FxPro senior market analyst Alex Kuptsikevich said in a note to CoinDesk. “Bitcoin has recently outperformed the stock market but is now retreating against the buying in the indices.”

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“In the short term, bitcoin seems more at risk of falling than rising,” the trader said, adding ether’s bearish performance did little to boost confidence in top tokens.

Ether and bitcoin were buoyed to one-month highs last week as six ETH ETFs went live in the U.S. earlier on Monday, with traders expecting high demand for the products.

However, their performance told a different story. Less than $2 million were traded across the various ETFs on Monday, with poor volumes throughout the week prompting analysts to write down their bullish outlook and pivot to bitcoin investments instead.

Such sentiment weighed on prices, with ether losing nearly all gains since the past week, while bitcoin has generally hovered above support levels.

Crypto majors moved little in the past 24 hours after profit taking earlier this week and a lack of catalysts. Bitcoin slumped 0.5%, ether slipped 1%, while XRP and BNB Chain’s BNB were little changed.

Cardano’s ADA tokens were the only majors in green with a 2.2% price bump. Elsewhere, toncoin (TON) surged 8.8% on no immediately apparent catalyst, while Avalanche’s AVAX tokens continued gains from earlier this week with a 4% jump.

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Solana CME Futures Fell Short of BTC and ETH Debuts, but There's a Catch

Solana CME futures first-day activity compared to BTC and ETH debuts. (CME/K33 Research)

When adjusted for asset market capitalization SOL's relative futures volume looks better, K33 Research noted.

What to know:

  • Solana's SOL futures began trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Monday, with a notional daily volume of $12.3 million and $7.8 million in open interest, significantly lower than the debuts of bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) futures.
  • Despite the seemingly lackluster debut, when adjusted to market value, SOL's first-day figures are more in line with BTC's and ETH's, according to K33 Research.
  • Despite the bearish market conditions, the launch of CME SOL futures offers new ways for institutions to manage their exposure to the token, said Joshua Lim of FalconX.