One of the key themes we've been monitoring in the crypto ecosystem is the movement to a new era dominated by an increasing number of derivative vehicles at investors' disposal.
In previous Bitcoin cycles, investors primarily moved to cash through selling spot.
Now, with a liquid futures market, savvy traders have been hedging their positions (today's equivalent of going to cash) by shorting calendar futures.
This constant selling pressure in calendar futures has driven the term structure lower over the last few months and is a reliable metric for both long and short time frame analysis.
There's been so little to discuss and so few actionable trades that our priority right now is waiting for reliable signals to suggest a resolution from this trading range.
Price action in most crypto assets is still range-bound. It appears 46,000 is the critical level for bulls to reclaim.
There are many mixed signals, so we have no read on current price action as of the writing of this report.
It's the sound of tilted traders getting chopped up.
It's a tale as old as time: people playing the market like it's trending, when it's nothing more than ping-ponging.
Price is in a really well-defined range, and there's no point getting hyped by any moves - up or down - before we actually get confirmation of a real break.
This approach of remaining completely neutral has done a great job of protecting us from the tilt of getting chopped up.
We've taken shots at small long trades in a few altcoins during this time, only for us to ultimately get chopped up days after putting the positions on.
This is information.
Crypto as an asset class is range-bound at best, and unless you're incorporating a staking/yield/options strategy, the vast majority of crypto traders have been better off positioned in stables on the sidelines.
The macro environment continues to be heavily driven by geopolitical volatility and the situation in Eastern Europe.
Parabolic commodity prices are beginning to take their toll on the broad market indexes, which Bitcoin and crypto have been correlated with in recent months and quarters.
Moreover, whales and savvy traders are still in the process of selling.