A key difference between bull and bear markets is how traders position around FUD.
In a bear market, for example, highly overstretched derivatives positions indicate that traders are leaning heavily on speculation. On the other hand, during a bull market, conviction tends to hold strong. In this way, trader behavior around fear and uncertainty reveal the underlying trend.
Naturally, the question now is, where does Bitcoin [BTC] sit in this context? Technically, at press time, BTC seemed to be showing a bearish tilt after a volatile 48 hours. The price slipped by over 6%, breaking below the $70k-support level, with the crypto retracing back towards its early-March levels.
Still, there has been no sign of cascading liquidations just yet.
According to Coinglass, Bitcoin’s long liquidations remain under $120 million, even lower than mid-March, when BTC dropped by 6.83% in the week after the FOMC meeting. This might mean that traders aren’t panicking yet, and the market may be digesting the move rather than capitulating.
This divergence is telling. Normally, a break below key support would trigger heavy deleveraging, forcing traders to close positions. Instead, the reaction has been contained, signaling that Bitcoin’s derivatives positioning hasn’t been overstretched despite the consolidation.
Notably, analysts have pointed out that this looks more like market repositioning, rather than outright dumping. In other words, traders may be adjusting their positions instead of panicking. If this interpretation holds, BTC’s recent pullback could actually be a textbook bear trap, a fakeout designed to shake out weak hands before the market makes a potential move higher.
On-chain activity supports a bullish bias for Bitcoin
Traders’ positioning clearly underlined which side has been dominating the market lately.
A notable signal came from Lookonchain, which flagged that a “newly” created wallet withdrew 2,650 BTC ($179.6 million) from Binance. The fact that the wallet is newly created is important as it hinted at fresh capital entering the market. Despite Bitcoin’s price dipping below the $70k-level.
Meanwhile, CryptoQuant’s latest report highlighted a strong bullish signal. When BTC fell below $60K, panic among short-term holders (STHs) drove roughly 100K BTC to Binance in early February. However, this behavior has since shifted dramatically.
Today, STH inflows are down to just 25,000 BTC.
According to AMBCrypto, this divergence is also telling.
Normally, STHs are the first to panic sell when FUD rises, locking in gains or cutting losses to protect their wallets. However, with inflows now so low, it means short-term holders are holding steady instead of capitulating, indicating growing confidence and a more stable market structure.
Taken together, two key divergences (derivatives that aren’t overstretched and a confident STH cohort) indicate that the market may be stabilizing. Fresh capital is coming in, and traders appear to be positioning for a potential bullish continuation, making Bitcoin’s current pullback a textbook fakeout to the downside.
Final Summary
- Bitcoin derivatives aren’t overstretched as STHs are holding steady and fresh capital is entering – Marking key divergences this cycle.
- BTC’s recent dip could be a textbook bear trap, shaking out weak hands before a potential bullish move.
Ritika Gupta is a coin-based journalist at AMBCrypto who focuses on how economic and political trends impact cryptocurrencies. A social sciences graduate from Gargi College, she reports on AI, DeFi, Web3, and blockchain, using her hands-on experience to turn complex crypto developments into clear, practical insights for readers.
