Из жизни альткоинов

A new Glassnode report has revealed that the Bitcoin Open Interest continues to decline, a sign demand from risk-taking futures cohorts is waning.

Bitcoin Futures Open Interest Has Shown No Signs Of Growth Recently

In its latest weekly report, on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has talked about the latest trend in the Bitcoin Open Interest. This indicator measures the total amount of BTC-related perpetual futures positions that are currently active on the various centralized derivatives exchanges.

When the value of this metric rises, it means investors are opening up fresh positions on the market. Generally, the amount of leverage present in the sector goes up when new positions appear, so this kind of trend can lead to more volatility for the asset.

On the other hand, the indicator registering a drop suggests positions in the market are going down, either due to investors pulling back on risk, or exchanges enforcing forceful liquidations. Either way, the reduced leverage can result in the coin acting in a more stable manner.

Now, here is a chart that shows the trend in the Bitcoin Open Interest over the past year:

As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Open Interest witnessed a huge plunge last month as the cryptocurrency’s price crash triggered a massive liquidation squeeze. Since then, the metric has continued to slide down as the BTC price has plummeted further.

The fact that the downtrend in the indicator has maintained implies that investors haven’t been opening new positions in place of the ones getting liquidated. “This absence of incremental leverage underscores a cautious stance among market participants and aligns with the broader theme of fading demand across risk-taking cohorts,” explained the report.

Bitcoin has faced another bearish blow in the past day, which has only unleashed a new wave of liquidations in the futures market. As the below table from CoinGlass shows, the cryptocurrency sector as a whole has observed $904 million in liquidations over the last 24 hours.

Prices across the market have dropped inside this window, so it makes sense that $690 million of these liquidations have come from the long contract holders alone.

In terms of the individual assets, Bitcoin and Ethereum have contributed the most toward the squeeze like usual, with $370 million and $235 million in contracts involved, respectively.

Solana has been the leader among the rest with $37 million in liquidations. Interestingly, while most of the market has dropped, SOL is among the few that still have a slight positive gain for the past day.

BTC Price

Bitcoin has returned to the $86,900 level following its latest drop.

Bitmine приобрела еще 17 242 ETH на сумму $49 млн. Сейчас во владении компании находится около 3,5 млн эфиров на $10 млрд. Об этом говорят данные аналитической компании Onchain Lens.

Американский финансист и инвестор, основатель фонда Bridgewater Associates Рэй Далио (Ray Dalio) считает: главная проблема биткоина заключается в том, что он не станет резервным активом для крупных государств.

In the past week, Bitcoin has continued to record new daily lows, culminating in a nearly eight-month low of just under $86,500 on Thursday. Market expert Shanaka Anslem, however, offers a contrarian perspective, labeling the current downturn as an “engineered collapse” and presenting a bullish argument despite the prevailing bearish sentiment.

Technical Indicators Suggest Potential Upside 

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Anslem stated that while mainstream media depicts the situation as a “crypto winter,” a significant and stealthy accumulation of Bitcoin is taking place underneath the surface turmoil. He outlines several indicators that support his viewpoint.

According to Anslem, Bitcoin’s correction of nearly 30% from all-time highs has triggered widespread panic selling. However, contrary to this atmosphere of fear, the data tells a different story. 

Notably, 231 new whale wallets were created in November, indicating that fresh capital is flowing into the market rather than established wealth exiting it. 

Furthermore, the Bitcoin network’s hash rate has reached all-time highs even as the price has dropped, a sign that miners are confident in future prospects and are investing in their infrastructure.

Additionally, he contends that there has been a notable acceleration in stablecoin inflows, with $70 billion in exchange-traded fund (ETF) infrastructure ready to absorb panic selling. 

Funding rates have flipped negative for the first time since the accumulation phase commenced, suggesting that market conditions are aligning in favor of institutional investors.

“The math does not lie,” Anslem emphasized, referencing various technical indicators that collectively indicate potential upside. The Pi Cycle remains green, and none of the thirty historical signals indicating market tops have been triggered. 

Meanwhile, the Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio sits in mid-range territory, with on-chain metrics reflecting a classic mid-cycle shakeout.

Bitcoin Could Soar To $320,000 By Late 2026

Anslem stated that this situation bears a striking resemblance to the market conditions in 2018, just before Bitcoin skyrocketed from $3,200 to $69,000. He argued that this time around, institutional infrastructure exists that wasn’t available back then.

He suggests that market participants have “artificially” thinned liquidity by 50%, triggering a cascade effect designed to maximize fear among retail investors. 

The fear and greed index currently stands at 15, indicating extreme fear. Historically, such levels have marked significant buying opportunities for long-term investors. 

Anslem projects that this setup could lead to historical rallies ranging from 150% to 400% as the market moves toward its cycles’ peaks, with targets set between $220,000 and $320,000 by late 2026.

The reality, he asserts, is that the post-Halving supply shock, coupled with increasing institutional demand, creates an asymmetric market setup. According to Anslem, while retail investors are selling off their positions in fear, institutional players are discreetly accumulating Bitcoin.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Обвал курса биткоина ниже $86 400 ознаменовал новую фазу «великого краха криптовалют 2025 года», заявили аналитики информационно-аналитического агентства Bloomberg.

An analyst has revealed how 2025 has been the year of OG Bitcoin whales, with hands older than seven years spending more than ever before.

OG Bitcoin Whales Have Maintained A High Selling Baseline This Year

In a new post on X, Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards has talked about the trend in the Bitcoin distribution from the “OG whales.” These are the investors who have been holding onto their BTC since more than seven years ago, without having transferred or sold the tokens once.

Below is the chart shared by Edwards that shows how the spending from Bitcoin holders of this age has looked over the past decade.

As is visible in the graph, Bitcoin OG whales have shown several spending spikes of a significant scale in 2025 so far, with one spike being particularly massive. But even during low-spending phases, selling from 7+ years old investors has remained at a notable level.

This stands out in the red-shaded chart, which shows the OG whale distribution as a percentage of the cryptocurrency’s market cap. This metric has consistently registered a value higher than 0.05%, which is a historically high level. The analyst has noted that the recent trend reflects “more selling than any other Bitcoin cycle.”

One reason behind this cycle’s distribution outweighing previous cycles could simply be the fact that Bitcoin is only getting older with each cycle, so there is a bigger part of the asset’s history today that now qualifies for that 7-year cutoff.

As for why these investors have been selling, it’s possible that the bull run profits have been high enough for them to cash in. Something to keep in mind is that while entities with a long holding time are considered “resolute,” the same may not actually apply to these “OG” whales.

This is because when coins cross the 7-year threshold, there crops up a real possibility that they have reached their long age by being lost, rather than through high-conviction “HODLing.” The spending this year may simply be a result of lost addresses being rediscovered, either by the original investor or someone who happened to obtain the wallet keys.

That said, some of these investors waking up to sell now would indeed be stalwart diamond hands who were silently biding their time until now. In past cycles, Bitcoin usually hit a top when selling from these investors became extreme. Whether the same pattern will follow this time around only remains to be seen, but the latest bearish trajectory could be a hint.

BTC Price

Bitcoin dropped under $89,000 on Wednesday, but it appears the coin has already bounced back as its price is now trading around $91,800.

A major legal showdown in the crypto world has taken a sharp turn after the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands granted Core Foundation an injunction blocking Maple Finance from launching syrupBTC, its upcoming Bitcoin yield product.

Related Reading: XRP Just ‘Flash-Wicked’ To $90 On Kraken — Expert Reveals Why

The ruling marks a significant escalation in a dispute centered on allegations of breached confidentiality, violated exclusivity agreements, and improper handling of lender assets.

Court Sides With Core Amid Confidentiality and Exclusivity Dispute

The injunction comes after Core Foundation argued that Maple Finance misused confidential information and internal work developed during their joint creation of lstBTC, a liquid-staked Bitcoin product unveiled in early 2025.

According to filings, Core invested heavily in technical development, ecosystem support, and go-to-market efforts, helping Maple attract more than $150 million in Bitcoin from clients earlier this year.

Core claims that from mid-2025, Maple began building a competing offering, syrupBTC, while still drawing on Core’s funding, engineering resources, and proprietary insights. The two were bound by a 24-month exclusivity clause, which Core says Maple knowingly violated.

Justice Jalil Asif KC determined that there are “serious issues to be tried,” ruling that financial damages alone would be insufficient. The judge highlighted two key risks, Maple potentially shedding or dealing in CORE tokens and the competitive head start it would gain by launching syrupBTC ahead of arbitration.

As a result, Maple is now prohibited from launching or promoting the product and from handling CORE tokens without written approval from Core Foundation.

Lender Asset Concerns Raise Further Questions

The conflict intensified after Maple informed lenders of potential impairments affecting millions of dollars in Bitcoin held through the existing Bitcoin Yield program.

Core Foundation disputes Maple’s claim, noting that Maple previously assured lenders funds were held in bankruptcy-remote structures with licensed custodians, meaning assets should have remained segregated and fully retrievable.

Core argues the impairment announcement contradicts those assurances and raises broader concerns about Maple’s asset management practices. Maple, however, denies all allegations, insisting the dispute affects only a pilot program and asserting that its wider operations remain unaffected.

A Case With Industry-Wide Implications

Beyond the courtroom, this clash highlights the increasing sensitivity of co-development partnerships in the maturing DeFi ecosystem.

As liquid staking and tokenized Bitcoin products become more competitive, the injunction sets a powerful precedent on enforcing exclusivity, protecting intellectual property, and clarifying legal obligations within decentralized finance.

Related Reading: Bitwise CIO Anticipates Crypto ‘ETF Palooza’: Over 100 New Funds Expected To Launch In 2026

With arbitration still ahead, the outcome could reshape how future crypto collaborations are negotiated, and how far courts will go to protect shared innovation.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

Ethereum is barely holding above the critical $3,000 level as the broader crypto market battles intense selling pressure. Fear remains elevated, liquidity is thinning, and investors are bracing for more volatility. Yet despite the drawdown, some analysts argue that this environment is beginning to look like a classic oversold setup, one that has historically offered strong accumulation opportunities for long-term players.

Adding to the intrigue, new data from Lookonchain reveals unusual on-chain activity involving a wallet potentially linked to SharpLink Gaming. The move has sparked intense speculation across the market, as large OTC transactions often signal strategic repositioning by institutional players rather than panic selling.

This activity stands out at a moment when Ethereum is testing major support levels and sentiment is overwhelmingly bearish. The fact that significant OTC flows are still occurring suggests that smart money is active beneath the surface—even as retail panic dominates public markets.

SharpLink-Linked Wallet Sparks Sell-Off Speculation

According to new data from Lookonchain, a wallet potentially linked to SharpLink Gaming (address 0x70Dd) has executed a series of large transactions that are drawing attention across the Ethereum market. Over the past two days, the wallet transferred 10,975 ETH, worth roughly $33.5 million, to a Galaxy Digital OTC wallet. Shortly after, it received 10 million USDC back from the same OTC address, raising questions about the nature of the move.

Lookonchain openly asks the question circulating among analysts: Is SharpLink Gaming selling ETH? While the transactions resemble a structured OTC sale—where large holders offload assets without impacting public order books—there is still no confirmation that the funds belong directly to the company. However, the timing of the transfer is notable. Ethereum is trading near a crucial support zone around $3,000, and liquidity across the market is tightening as panic-driven selling accelerates.

Large OTC flows like this often signal strategic repositioning rather than emotional selling, yet they can still shape market sentiment. If this was indeed a sale, it adds to the narrative of institutions reducing exposure during the correction. If it was simply a treasury reshuffle, the impact may be far less bearish than it appears. For now, the market is watching closely.

Testing the $3,000 Support as Momentum Weakens

Ethereum is hovering just above the critical $3,000 support zone, a level that has become the battleground between buyers trying to defend the trend and sellers pressing for deeper downside. The daily chart shows a clear and persistent downtrend that began after ETH failed to reclaim the $4,000 region in late October. Since then, lower highs and lower lows have defined price action, with ETH unable to break above the 50-day moving average — a sign of weakening momentum.

The 100-day and 200-day moving averages are also trending downward, reinforcing bearish market structure. Price is currently sitting below all major moving averages, often a precursor to extended corrective phases in past cycles. However, the $3,000–$2,950 range has acted as a strong demand zone multiple times throughout the year, and buyers are once again attempting to defend it.

The candles show long lower wicks forming around this level, suggesting that some dip buyers are stepping in, though conviction remains limited. If ETH loses $3,000 decisively, the next notable support sits around $2,750–$2,800. On the flip side, reclaiming the 50-day MA near $3,400 would be the first sign of a potential momentum shift after weeks of selling.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin Core, the reference implementation that underpins the majority of the BTC network, has undergone what Brink describes as the first-ever public, third-party security audit of its codebase. The assessment was carried out by security firm Quarkslab, coordinated by the Open Source Technology Improvement Fund (OSTIF) and funded by Brink with support from its donors.

Bitcoin Core Undergoes Historic Security Audit

Announcing the results, Mike Schmidt, co-founder and executive director of Brink, said the audit largely confirms the community’s long-held view of the project’s engineering standards. In his words, “The results confirm what long-time contributors and users already know: Bitcoin Core is a mature, conservatively engineered, and exceptionally well-tested codebase. Independent review only strengthens that confidence. This security assessment is a checkpoint in the mission to further secure Bitcoin, not a destination.”

Brink emphasized that this is the first public, external security review of Bitcoin Core. The organization stated that “as part of Brink’s mission to ensure the safety and robustness of the open-source Bitcoin Core software, we recently sponsored an independent security audit of the Core codebase. This represents the first public, third-party audit of Bitcoin Core.”

The motivation, according to Brink, is that “the project has a strong security track record, but it has never undergone an external security assessment. We wanted to provide an additional layer of assurance for developers, node operators, holders, and businesses who rely on Bitcoin Core every day.”

The scope of the audit focused explicitly on the most security-sensitive parts of the system. Brink explained that “the focus was on the most security-critical components of the software, including the peer-to-peer networking layer, mempool, chain management, and consensus logic.” To interrogate these areas, Quarkslab used “manual code review, static and dynamic analysis, [and] advanced fuzz testing.”

On findings, the result is unusually clear. Brink reported that “the auditors at Quarkslab reported no critical, high, or medium-severity issues. They identified two low-severity findings and thirteen informational recommendations, none of which were classified as security vulnerabilities under Core’s criteria.” That framing is deliberate: the issues are treated as hardening and quality improvements rather than vulnerabilities that could directly endanger funds or consensus.

Schmidt was careful not to present the report as a declaration that the software is bug-free. He wrote that “that isn’t to say there aren’t still bugs lurking in the software. More improvements still need to be made. But this audit is a nice step along the way to help ensure Bitcoin doesn’t break and continues to serve the world as a secure, reliable monetary network.”

Brink also highlighted the collaborative structure of the effort. The organization noted that “the assessment was conducted by Quarkslab (@quarkslab) and was coordinated with the help of the Open Source Technology Improvement Fund (OSTIF @OSTIFofficial). Funding was provided by Brink with the support of our donors, with technical collaboration from Niklas Gögge and Antoine Poinsot.” It publicly thanked “Quarkslab, the OSTIF, Niklas, and Antoine for their work on this project,” and made the full report freely available.

In its summary of the initiative, Brink tied the audit back to Bitcoin’s broader reliability guarantees. “Funding independent reviews like this is just one way we help ensure Bitcoin doesn’t break and continues to serve the world as a secure, reliable monetary network,” the organization said, repeating that “independent review only strengthens that confidence.”

At press time, BTC traded at $91,764.