Ethereum (ETH) is attracting investor consideration as capital flows shift away from Bitcoin (BTC), with derivatives market exercise indicating sturdy near-term bullish sentiment for the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
Over the weekend, ETH noticed a rise in open curiosity alongside elevated implied volatility, indicating rising confidence amongst derivatives merchants. This momentum has translated into a major value rally, with ETH gaining over 6% prior to now 24 hours to commerce at a peak of $3,513. In distinction, Bitcoin noticed a modest 0.5% decline.
Wintermute analysts highlighted a transparent shift in favor of ETH of their weekly crypto market replace. “Flows over the previous couple of classes have shifted in favor of ETH, with open curiosity on exchanges reaching all-time highs over the weekend,” the agency mentioned.
This shift was evident by a pointy improve in implied volatility for ETH and a 12-month excessive within the put-call skew, reflecting a rising desire for upside threat. “Giant blocks over the weekend included December 27 ETH name spreads with strike costs starting from $3,600 to $5,000,” Wintermute reported. The analysts additionally famous that latest ETH name contracts have been buying and selling at a premium of 8-10 factors, which might gas hedging exercise by way of 10-25 day threat reversals.
ETH’s bullish momentum has spilled over to altcoins, notably ERC20 tokens. Over-the-counter (OTC) demand has surged, with the Pepe memecoin rising as a standout performer. Pepe has gained over 54% prior to now two weeks, pushed by its rising reputation in Layer 2 ecosystems.
*This isn’t funding recommendation.