Bitcoin CME Report for Tuesday 17 Jan 2023 to Tuesday 24 Jan 202CME Overview:
Bitcoin and crypto, in general, have had a major run starting most significantly since the start of the new year. BTC1! Is the Bitcoin Chicago Mercantile Exchange Futures trading and comprises significant institutional trading of Bitcoin. The most significant data we use in this report are from the Dealer and Intermediaries which are the Exchanges and Brokerages as well as the Asset Managers the latter of which has been longing the 2021 all-time high and subsequent bear market to their peril.
The report that comes out on Fridays shows the actions that occurred by position from the previous Tuesday to the Tuesday before that. This current report shows a week-long snapshot of CME positions on Bitcoin from Tuesday the 17th of January to Tuesday the 24th of January. New reports are released on the following Friday after the market closes.
Bitcoin CME Report for Tuesday 17 Jan 2023 to Tuesday 24 Jan 2023
From the 17th to the 20th of January price increased from $21.2k to $22.4k before a 2-day break for the weekend. Most notably from Monday the 23rd and Tuesday the 24th the CME gapped up, meaning that the close price from Friday (CME closes for weekend trading) the price of Bitcoin increased from $22.4k and opened on Monday at $22.6k. This creates a “Gap”, and by rule, gaps do not have to be filled however probability says they have a higher fill rate than not. That weekend gap has now been taken out completely however a gap from the 14th and 15th of January largely still exists between $19.9k and $20.4k with a massive and older gap from the 12th and 13th of June 2022 above us at $27.4k and $29.1k.
Dealers and Intermediaries are Extremely Short
Short Positions:
In the current reporting period, we see that Dealers and Intermediaries (The Exchanges / Brokerages) increased their longs by 101 positions bringing their total long positions to 304 while still adding 726 short positions bringing their total short positions to 4,346. This is very different from what usually occurs in relation to lower timeframe price action as we see Dealers and Intermediaries usually adjusting their positions more regularly to catch the Major Moves.
As the price has increased in this period this is the most significant adding of short positions by the Dealers and Intermediaries that we have seen since the end of March 2022 when Dealers and Intermediaries massively shorted to force a Q2 open underneath the Q1 open and thereby wrecking quarterly options. Dealers and Intermediaries are now 93.4% short.
Asset Managers are still largely out of Position and Entirely Long
Long Positions:
The other interesting figure from a more accurate perspective is how out of position the Asset Managers have been in the last year plus as they began heavily building longs at the highs in the fall of 2021 and now they have begun to heavily increase their positions in this weeklong period by a further 644 positions to a total of 7,671 long positions and closed 243 short positions leaving only 63 short positions total for asset managers. This means that compared to short positions Asset Managers and Institutions are 99.2% Long with relatively zero shorts.
Summary
This most recent COT report is interesting as it shows Asset Managers and Institutionals are only long at the same time as we have had good market movement to the upside with each level creating support. The Asset Managers and Institutionals are entirely in Long positions as they added massive longs that are/were out of position going back to November of 2021 and throughout the 2022 bear market.
Bitcoin is still holding key levels however, the extreme bearish sentiment is starting to dissipate as Bears are being and have been punished in every range and consolidation period. Every continuous move-up was met by heavy shorting from retail thus providing more liquidity to move price upwards. This is now starting to change as Retail is beginning to add longs in this previous weekly range while shorts were squeezed out of position on Wednesday.
The gap down at $19.9k to $20.4k is still in place and breaking any significant structure above still allows the market to capitalize on taking out later longs that got into position over $20k which have yet to be punished. The upside move is still in play until support is broken, a new gap that could be formed come the Monday open on Jan 30th would potentially provide an incentive for market movement as we open the week.
Late Longs have not been significantly punished as heavier liquidity is building below us. That being said the weekend trading can decide quite a bit if we start closing 4hr or daily levels below the Weekly Open at $22.6k. The confirmed loss of this level will potentially allow us to short higher up and at the failure of the structure. Shorts have also already been punished and Longs have been by all accounts allowed to keep positions as heavy support still exists.
All eyes are on the FOMC interest rate decision on Wednesday the 1st of February, with the forecast being an increase of .25% from 4.5% to 4.75% which should be a catalyst to move the market should the forecast not meet the decision.
Retail is starting to flip their bias long just as the Asset Managers have both of whom have been largely on the wrong side of the market for well over a year. Conversely, the Dealers and Intermediaries have been largely correct in their positions and their massive adding of shorts in this area which should not be taken lightly as they have been right throughout the bear market.
Our thoughts about the Dealers and Intermediaries are simple, don’t bet against them, they have all the data and see all the positions.
