Pro traders buy the Bitcoin price dip while retail investors chase altcoins

Bitcoin (BTC) has been struggling to maintain the $55,000 assist stage for the previous 16 days, or principally since the April 17 record-high $5-billion lengthy contracts liquidation. The rejection that occurred after the $64,900 all-time excessive had a devastating influence on the sentiment of retail traders, as measured by the vital drop in the perpetual futures funding charge.

However, regardless of Bitcoin’s latest underperformance and May 4’s 6.5% drop, professional traders have been shopping for the dip for the previous 24 hours. These whales and arbitrage desk actions are mirrored in the OKEx futures long-to-short ratio, in addition to Bitfinex’s margin lending markets. As this shopping for happens, retail traders are primarily quiet, which is mirrored in the impartial perpetual funding charge.

USDT-margined perpetual futures 8-hour funding charge. Source: Bybt

As depicted above, the perpetual futures (inverse swaps) 8-hour funding charge has been beneath 0.05% for the previous couple of weeks. For the end-of-month contracts, costs vastly differ from common spot exchanges, reflecting the imbalance from longs and shorts leverage.

This discrepancy is why retail traders are likely to choose perpetual futures, albeit with the various carry value brought on by the funding charge adjustments.

The present eight-hour payment is equal to a 1% weekly charge, signaling a slight imbalance on longs. However, this stage is effectively beneath the 0.10% and better charges seen in early April. This information is obvious proof that retail traders aren’t snug including Bitcoin lengthy positions regardless of the 9% correction in two days.

On the different hand, the prime traders’ long-to-short indicator reached its highest stage in 30 days, signaling shopping for exercise from whales and arbitrage desks. This indicator is calculated by analyzing the consumer’s consolidated place on the spot, perpetual and futures contracts. As a end result, it provides a clearer view of whether or not skilled traders are leaning bullish or bearish.

OKEx prime traders long-to-short ratio. Source: Bybt

As proven above, the present OKEx futures long-to-short ratio presently favors longs by 94%. This shopping for exercise was initiated in the early hours of May 4 as Bitcoin broke beneath $55,000. More importantly, it alerts much more confidence than April 14 when BTC hiked to its $64,900 all-time excessive.

However, to verify whether or not this motion is widespread, one must also consider margin markets. For instance, the main trade (Bitfinex) holds over $1.8 billion price of leveraged Bitcoin positions.

BTC price (orange, left) vs. Bitfinex long-to-short margin ratio (blue, proper). Source: TradingView

Bitfinex exhibits spectacular progress in the BTC margin markets, with longs over 50 occasions the quantity borrowed by shorts. These ranges are unprecedented in the trade’s historical past and ensure the information from OKEx’s futures markets.

There’s little doubt that skilled traders are ultra-bullish regardless of May 4’s Bitcoin dip. As for the lack of urge for food from retail traders, their focus appears to be presently on altcoins.

Currently, 18 of the prime 50 altcoins have rallied 45% or increased in the previous 30 days.

The query is, can the altcoin rally proceed if BTC fails to provide a brand new all-time excessive over the subsequent couple of weeks?

The views and opinions expressed listed here are solely these of the author and don’t essentially replicate the views of Cointelegraph. Every funding and buying and selling transfer entails danger. You ought to conduct your personal analysis when making a call.