There has been a remarkable movement in the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency market recently. In a post made by crypto analysis platform CoinGlass on August 16, it was stated that despite the decrease in the price of Bitcoin, open interest (OI) in its futures has increased. This situation creates uncertainty about the direction of the market and also raises the possibility of a possible price decrease. The increase in open interest shows that investors are taking more risks in both long and short positions.

Leverage Usage Increases

Data from CoinGlass shows that total open interest in Bitcoin futures reached $29 billion as of August 16, and this increase continued throughout the week. Bitcoin fell by 5% during the same period.

The increased use of leverage in the market can cause price movements to intensify in both directions. In particular, the 20% sudden drop experienced on August 5 is considered to be a result of high leverage.

Negative Funding Rates in Effect

Along with this increase in open interest, CoinGlass data also suggests that negative funding rates are at play. Negative funding rates occur in crypto-based derivatives markets when the price of a futures contract trades below the spot price of the underlying asset. This scenario can make it costly for investors to maintain long positions, while increasing interest in short positions. Such market conditions could reinforce the downtrend in Bitcoin prices.

Towards the end of the week, on August 16, around 24,000 Bitcoin options contracts are set to expire, valued at $1.4 billion. However, such option expirations typically have limited impact on spot markets, while clearing large leverage holdings can have a greater impact on prices.

Latest Situation in Bitcoin Price

Over the past 12 hours, the cryptocurrency Bitcoin has seen a 3% drop, and on the morning of August 16, Bitcoin was trading just above the $58,000 level. This downtrend, combined with the increase in open interest in the futures market, creates a picture that investors should watch closely.

Cryptocurrency markets are known to be inherently full of uncertainty. However, indicators such as rising open interest and negative funding rates suggest that Bitcoin and cryptocurrency prices could see more volatility in the coming days.