- Professional traders are paying a 13% premium for downside protection on Bitcoin.
- Options data shows a sustained bearish bias, with neutral-to-bearish strategies dominating recent activity.
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen $910 million in outflows since February 11, indicating waning institutional demand.
Bitcoin’s price is struggling to hold above $66,000 this week, as professional traders seek protection from further losses. According to options market data, put options are trading at a 13% premium to calls, reflecting significant caution. This fear stems from recent price action, including a rejection near $71,000 last Sunday.
Consequently, bear diagonal spreads and short straddles were the most traded strategies on the Deribit exchange in the past 48 hours. Market sentiment leans heavily toward caution rather than overt panic, with traders effectively betting on a retest of the $60,000 level. This positioning indicates they are not overreacting to immediate dips.
Meanwhile, institutional demand through U.S.-listed exchange-traded funds appears weak. These Bitcoin ETFs have posted over $900 million in net outflows since mid-February. Consequently, this performance contrasts sharply with Gold‘s rally and the S&P 500 Index’s strength near all-time highs.
Traders’ caution is further evidenced by stablecoin flows in China. Stablecoins currently trade at a slight discount to the official USD/CNY rate. While an improvement from earlier in the week, this discount still signals moderate outflows from crypto markets.
Ultimately, the market awaits a clear catalyst to break the current trend. Professional traders remain extremely cautious until the rationale for February’s crash becomes apparent.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
