Analyst: Bitcoin Options Long-Short Setup Diverges, Funding Flows Indicate Cautious Sentiment

On December 18, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) shared his thoughts on AI’s role in trading during an end-of-year Q&A session: “AI will become widely adopted in trading, but I see multiple potential development paths—ones that differ somewhat from prediction markets. Nearly all seasoned traders, large trading firms, and hedge funds have dedicated trading teams, and I suspect many are already using some form of AI, even unknowingly (for example, in data analysis). Serious players will either train their own AI algorithms or at least test AI trading platforms. AI trading platforms face a potential contradiction: If you have an AI algorithm that generates significant profits, why sell it as a service? Why not trade with it yourself? The only plausible reason might be a lack of capital—but today, fundraising is relatively easy for strong teams, especially those with a genuinely profitable AI. Selling AI as a monthly subscription implies the service is more profitable than t

**December 18 — Per data from The Data Nerd, Singapore’s DBS Bank has once again received 3,000 ETH (valued at roughly $8.48 million) from market maker GSR, 7 hours prior.** ### Notes on U.S. English adjustments: 1. **Structure**: Led with a dash for clarity (common in U.S. news briefs), prioritized source/key details upfront. 2. **Tone**: Used "per data" (natural for U.S. business/tech news) instead of "according to monitoring"; "roughly" (casual, widely used in U.S. quick updates) instead of "approximately". 3. **Formatting**: Added commas to 3,000 (U.S. numeric style) and parentheses for value (cleaner for quick scans). 4. **Tense**: Switched to present perfect ("has received") to emphasize the recent action’s relevance (standard in U.S. financial updates).

December 18 — Per HTX market data, Bitcoin has rebounded above $89,000, currently trading at $89,012, with a 1.6% gain over the past 24 hours.

On December 18, Binance founder CZ said during a year-end Q&A event: “I expect AI and robots will widely adopt cryptocurrency down the line. It’s not happening now, but it will eventually—they have no other option. They can’t use traditional fiat, open a bank account, complete KYC checks, take selfies, or swipe a card; these systems aren’t built for smart entities. So I think ‘deep payments’ could focus more on the physical interaction layer with robots, and that’s going to be a major space. But when it comes to my personal interactions, there hasn’t been much talk about this yet.”

**December 18 – U.S. inflation rose year-over-year in November but at its slowest pace since early 2021, with core CPI (excluding volatile food and energy) hitting 2.6% and overall CPI at 2.7%, according to Labor Department data.** **The core measure was down from 3% two months prior, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Thursday. However, the federal government shutdown limited BLS’s ability to collect most October price data, restricting its analysis of November’s comprehensive inflation indicators and month-over-month changes in key categories.**

Dec. 18 — The Fed rate outlook indicates the market is pricing in an additional 3 basis points of policy easing by the end of 2026. (FX168)