Ethereum's Open Interest Halves as $6.4B Worth of Positions Disappear: Market Reset Intensifies

Ethereum's price has plunged below $2,800 amidst a sudden market downturn, heightening investor anxiety and indicating a potential loss of bullish momentum. This recent sell-off has prompted many investors to adopt a cautious stance, with some analysts speculating about the emergence of a broader bear market. The selling pressure has surged across both spot and derivatives markets, leading to increased volatility as traders find it challenging to pinpoint a supportive level. A detailed report from CryptoQuant, authored by Darkfost, reveals a significant decline in Ethereum’s open interest on Binance, which has steadily decreased over the past three months. After hitting a record high of $12.6 billion on August 22, open interest has now halved, erasing nearly $6.4 billion in derivative positions and bringing down the total to $6.2 billion, a notable 51% drop. Despite this contraction, the current open interest remains slightly above the previous all-time high of $7.7 billion, highlighting the speculative nature of the derivatives market leading up to 2025. Darkfost emphasizes that 2025 marked a peak in speculation for Ethereum, driven by high leverage and rapid inflows, revealing a market structure less stable than it appeared during the price surge. The decline in open interest isn't isolated to Binance; it’s also occurring across major derivatives platforms, indicating a widespread structural unwinding rather than just issues specific to one exchange. On Gate.io, for example, ETH open interest has decreased from $5.2 billion to $3.5 billion, while Bybit has experienced an even steeper fall from $6.1 billion to $2.3 billion. This collective retreat demonstrates the rapid exit of aggressively speculative positions. As the market correction continues, Ethereum's price has dropped from $4,830 to approximately $2,800, reflecting a sharp 43% decline from its recent highs. The decrease in leverage supports the notion that the market is undergoing a more profound reset than usual corrections, with investors appearing hesitant to re-engage as liquidations accumulate across exchanges. Despite the short-term impact on momentum and sentiment, such an aggressive deleveraging process may pave the way for a more sustainable market foundation for ETH. On its three-day chart, Ethereum has shown a decisive downward trend, firmly breaking below key moving averages for the first time since late 2024. Momentum remains weak, and if the $2,750 level is breached, critical liquidity zones may emerge around $2,550 and $2,300.