Bitcoin Non-Commercial Speculator Positions:
Large cryptocurrency speculators reduced their bearish net positions in the Bitcoin futures markets this week, according to the latest Commitment of Traders (COT) data released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Friday.
The non-commercial futures contracts of Bitcoin futures, traded by large speculators and hedge funds, totaled a net position of -1,368 contracts in the data reported through Tuesday June 26th. This was a weekly increase of 227 contracts from the previous week which had a total of -1,595 net contracts.
Speculative bearish positions fell for a second straight week following three straight weeks of increases. The current overall position is now at its least bearish level since the beginning of bitcoin futures trading in December 2017.
Small traders, meanwhile, decreased their existing bullish positions this week by an equally offsetting -227 contracts to the current level of 1,368 net contracts.
Bitcoin Futures COT Data: Speculators vs Small Traders
The Bitcoin futures data is in its twenty-eighth week since the beginning of the cryptocurrency futures data releases on December 19th. The data includes trader classifications of only speculators and small traders and without commercial traders (typically business hedgers or producers of a commodity).
Speculators have been on the bearish side since the beginning of the bitcoin data releases while the small traders have continued to be on the bullish side of this market.
Bitcoin per USD:
Over the same weekly reporting time-frame, from Tuesday to Tuesday, the Bitcoin Cryptocurrency Futures closed at approximately $6,222.78 which was a fall of $-497.65 from the previous close of $6,720.43, according to unofficial market data.
*COT Report: The COT data, released weekly to the public each Friday, is updated through the most recent Tuesday (data is 3 days old) and shows a quick view of how large speculators or non-commercials (for-profit traders) as well as the commercial traders (hedgers & traders for business purposes) were positioned in the futures markets. The CFTC categorizes trader positions according to commercial hedgers (traders who use futures contracts for hedging as part of the business), non-commercials (large traders who speculate to realize trading profits) and nonreportable traders (usually small traders/speculators). Find CFTC criteria here: (http://www.cftc.gov/MarketReports/CommitmentsofTraders/ExplanatoryNotes/index.htm).