Bitcoin traders preparing for tumultuous March, glassnode says

Bitcoin traders are pricing in uncertainty via the derivatives market, however on-chain supply of the crypto remains stable indicating that the market is ready to “ride out the storm ahead.” according to a report by on-chain data provider Glassnode on Monday,

• There are no signs of a mass exit driven by fear as data shows that both spot holdings and fund flows remain stable, Glassnode said.

• “This speaks to a clear investor uncertainty regarding the wider economic impact of a tighter U.S. dollar, given the preceding decades of loose monetary policy,” Glassnode said.

• Given an expectation of volatility due to the U.S. Federal Reserve's upcoming rate hike, traders are reducing their exposure to leveraged assets via a process called deleveraging.

• This has resulted in what Glassnode calls a "flattening" of the futures term structure meaning the estimated price of bitcoin at future date is getting lower and lower.

• Futures that expire at the end of 2022 currently have a strike price of $44,200, which represents a 6% annualized premium which Glassnode calls “very modest.”

• “Investors are deleveraging and utilizing derivatives markets to hedge out risk, and buy downside protection, with a keen eye on the Fed rate hikes expected in March. Meanwhile, overall on-chain supply dynamics appear to be in a form of equilibrium,” Glassnode wrote.

• Deleveraging is being done by traders closing positions, not a forced closure due to a liquidation cascade. Liquidation cascade occurs when the asset price experiences a steep decline resulting in long derivative positions being closed, which further lowers the price of the underlying asset.

• Glassnode also notes that there’s a “remarkably resilient cohort of holders” as the supply of bitcoin held by long-term holders continues to stay stable.

• The price of bitcoin was down 0.2% at around $44,200 at the time of writing.