Bitcoin Faces Precipitous Fall as Wall Street Bets on Futures’ Downward Trend

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In a turbulent triptych of trading, Bitcoin once again finds itself in stormy waters. Following the sharp flash crash on June 6, the cryptocurrency has experienced a decisive reversal from its once dizzying peak of $72,000. This not only illuminates the crucial importance of the liquidation level, more poignantly, it propels an understanding that Bitcoin, despite its inherent volatility, often recoils from this specific threshold. Market observers had been predicting a short squeeze but it appears that this line, once crossed, has triggered something altogether more complex.

In what can only be labeled as an audacious gamble, hedge funds and formidable Wall Street firms have been progressively establishing short positions on Bitcoin futures contracts – in the face of falling prices, they are boldly predicting further descents for the world’s premier digital currency. It seems they are staking their positions on this financial seesaw, deriving benefits from the fee differential while remaining net long on the spot market. However, this risky high-stake game of poker could potentially backfire – any unexpected price hike could wreak havoc on their portfolios, triggering enormous losses.


A level slightly above the all-time high of $74,000 seems to be a nexus of sorts. Exchange data reveals that short positions on BTC futures in this region amass an astounding $12 billion. Considering this, hedge funds appear rightly bearish. However, the omnipresence of their shorting strategy is well known, which means this move stands a significant chance of backfiring, possibly with resounding effects.

It should be remembered that hedge funds’ propensity to offload Bitcoin futures is not a sudden occurrence but a routine strategy. In fact, it is common to see them shorting futures of specific products while concurrently purchasing them in the spot markets. This particular stratagem is a staple in traditional finance, used to gain profits from the carry trade.

However, what they might have overlooked is that Bitcoin, a neoteric asset class, operates outside the traditional finance system. This could mean that their usual tactics might not yield anticipated results in this new realm, potentially triggering dramatic losses.

With Bitcoin dealing with substantial selling pressures, stooping down from its erstwhile pinnacle of $72,000, future recovery remains a matter of conjecture. Despite its steady uptrend, buyers have yet to offset the substantial losses endured since June 6, leading analysts to surmise that the least path of resistance, in the near term at least, appears to be downwards. A further drop below $66,000 would deal a heavy blow, erasing all gains reaped as far back as May 20, thereby indicating a drastic shift in trends.

Regardless, buyers are not losing hope where the digital currency’s future is concerned. Amidst the contraction last week, every spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuer in the United States has been actively purchasing. According to HODL15 Capital, the first week of June alone saw the addition of 25,729 Bitcoin. This number is comparably equal to roughly two months’ worth of mined coins and is the most prolific buying activity since mid-March, the same period in which the Bitcoin found itself at an all-time high around $73,800.