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Bitcoin short squeeze reappears: Futures open interest falls to a five-month low, and the market’s leverage structure has become healthier.

2026.08.25 19:09:53

Bitcoin has surged rapidly from around $62,000 to near $80,000 recently, marking its second-largest weekly gain in nearly five years. However, unlike previous rallies that came with massive leveraged capital inflows, open interest (OI) in Bitcoin-denominated futures has instead continued to decline in this cycle. Data from Glassnode shows that as of now, BTC-denominated futures OI stands at approximately 587,600 BTC, down from 645,800 BTC on August 14 and hitting a near-five-month low. Analysts believe this rally is driven more by short covering and short liquidations rather than a concentrated influx of new leveraged long positions. During this period, billions of dollars in short positions were liquidated, triggering a notable short squeeze that further pushed Bitcoin above $80,000. Meanwhile, the annualized funding rate for perpetual contracts remains below 10%, indicating that overall bullish leverage in the market is not overly crowded. Additionally, open interest in crypto margin futures has dropped to a historic low of around 52,000 BTC, accounting for just 11% of total market activity. The rising share of cash margin helps mitigate the cascading risk of "collateral shrinkage—forced liquidations—further price declines" during market downturns. Overall, current low participation in the derivatives market and a healthier leverage structure suggest this Bitcoin rally has stronger sustainability.

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