Behind Bitcoin ‘Flash Crash’ To $88,000 – On-Chain Lessons Learned

As a seasoned researcher with years of experience in the turbulent world of cryptocurrencies, I must admit that the past week has been a rollercoaster ride for me and many other investors. The Bitcoin price action was nothing short of exhilarating, swinging from six figures to under $90,000 and back again. It’s like watching a game of ping-pong with a million-dollar ball!


Over the last seven days, the Bitcoin market and the broader cryptocurrency sector have seen some dramatic ups and downs. Bitcoin itself reached a value of six figures, only to experience a sudden drop below $90,000, causing quite a rollercoaster ride for investors during this period.

It’s no surprise that the dramatic drop in Bitcoin prices, or “flash crash,” has sparked a flurry of discussion over the past day. Many experts have offered their thoughts on how this event could influence Bitcoin’s future path. Here are some key takeaways from the sudden price decline, as outlined by the head of research at CryptoQuant:

What Happened In The BTC Futures Market?

In his latest update on the X platform, CryptoQuant’s lead researcher Julio Moreno offered insights into the sudden drop in Bitcoin’s value to approximately $88,800 on December 5. To clarify, a flash crash is an event where the price of an asset suddenly falls dramatically but rebounds swiftly.

Based on Moreno’s analysis, the recent sudden drop in value for the leading cryptocurrency was initiated by a chain reaction of sell-offs and debt reduction in the Bitcoin futures market. This prominent crypto analyst explained that as the price of Bitcoin decreased on Thursday, the open interest declined, indicating that a substantial number of leveraged long positions in the futures market were being liquidated.

To elaborate, the regular payments traded among participants in the continuous future market, known as funding rates, showed a significant decrease as the value of Bitcoin fell. In scenarios where these rates become negative, it’s an indication that the market is shifting towards pessimism, with short traders prepared to pay extra.

Moreno pointed out that the decrease in funding rates indicates that the costs of continuous future contracts are dropping at a quicker pace than current market prices. It’s important to mention that when funding rates are negative during a price drop, it may suggest that traders foresee additional bearish pressure in the near future.

A key finding from CryptoQuant’s head of research’s post is that there’s robust demand for cryptocurrency spots, even though the futures market dynamics are weak. This conclusion is supported by the Coinbase Premium indicator, which measures the price difference between Coinbase (a spot exchange) and other platforms (often futures-focused). Moreno notes that this premium has become more pronounced in positive territory, indicating increased buying interest among US investors.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

Currently, the price of Bitcoin stands slightly below $100,500, marking a 2% rise over the last day. Data from leading crypto platform CoinGecko indicates that its market value surpasses $2 trillion at present.

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2024-12-07 18:41