Bitcoin futures open interest jumps by $1B: Manipulation or hedge?
Bitcoin spiking above $27,200 amid a big jump in open interest has some analysts asking whether BTC price is being manipulated. Bitcoin's (BTC) open interest on derivatives exchanges experienced a sudden surge of $1 billion on Sep. 18, prompting investors to question whether whales were accumulating in anticipation of the unsealing of Binance's court filings. However, a closer look at derivatives metrics suggests a more nuanced picture, as the funding rate did not exhibit clear signs of excessive buying demand. The decision to unseal these documents was granted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which had accused Binance of non-cooperation despite previously agreeing to a consent order related to unregistered securities operations and other allegations. BTC futures aggregate open interest, USD (green, left). Source: CoinGlass The open interest spiked to $12.1 billion while Bitcoin's price concurrently increased by 3.4%, the highest point in over two w...