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Crypto Long & Short: Crypto’s liquidity mirage

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Chart: Monthly spot and derivatives CEX Volumes and Market share

Welcome to our institutional newsletter, Crypto Long & Short. This week:

  • Leo Mindyuk on how executable liquidity at scale is more fragmented and fragile than most institutions assume
  • Top headlines institutions should pay attention to by Francisco Rodrigues
  • Helium’s deflationary flip in Chart of the Week

-Alexandra Levis


Expert Insights

Crypto’s liquidity mirage: why headline volume doesn’t equal tradable depth

– By Leo Mindyuk, co-founder and CEO, ML Tech

Crypto looks liquid, until you try to trade large volumes. Especially during periods of market stress and even more so if you want to execute on coins outside of the top 10-20.

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On paper, the numbers are impressive. Billions traded in daily volume and trillions traded in monthly volume. Tight spreads on bitcoin and ether (ETH). Dozens of exchanges competing for flow. It resembles a mature, highly efficient market. The beginning of the year saw around $9 trillion of monthly spot and derivatives volumes, then October 2025 saw around $10 trillion in monthly volume (including a lot of activity around the October 10th market bloodbath). Then in November, derivatives trading volumes decreased 26% to $5.61 trillion, recording the lowest monthly activity since June, followed by even larger declines in December and January, according to CoinDesk Data. Those are still some very impressive numbers, but let’s zoom in further.

Chart: Monthly spot and derivatives CEX Volumes and Market share

At first glance there are a lot of crypto exchanges competing for flow, but in reality just a small group of exchanges dominate (see the graph below). If those have liquidity thinning out or connectivity issues preventing the execution of volume, the whole crypto market is impacted.

Chart: Monthly derivatives centralized exchange volumes

It’s not just that the volumes are concentrated on a few exchanges, they are also highly concentrated in BTC, ETH and a couple of other top coins.

The liquidity seems quite solid with a number of institutional market makers active in the space. However, the visible liquidity is not the same as executable liquidity. According to Amberdata (see the graph below), markets that showed $103.64 million in visible liquidity suddenly had just $0.17 million available, a 98%+ collapse. The bid-ask imbalance flipped from +0.0566 (bid-heavy, buyers waiting) to -0.2196 (ask-heavy, sellers overwhelming the market at a 78:22 ratio).

Chart: Order book liquidity depth

For institutions deploying meaningful capital, the distinction becomes obvious very quickly. The top of the book might show tight spreads and reasonable depth. Go a few levels down, and liquidity thins out fast. Market impact doesn’t increase gradually, it accelerates. What looks like a manageable order can move price far more than expected once it interacts with real depth.

Chart: BTC Minimum depth around the October 10 market crash

The structural reason is simple. Crypto liquidity is fragmented. There is no single consolidated market. Depth is distributed across venues, each with different participants, latency profiles, API systems (that can break or have disruptions) and risk models (that can come under stress). Reported volume aggregates activity, but it does not aggregate liquidity in a way that makes it easily accessible for large execution. This is specifically apparent for smaller coins.

That fragmentation creates a false sense of comfort. In calm markets, spreads compress and books look stable. During volatility, liquidity providers reprice or pull entirely. They get unfavorable inventory and are unable to de-risk and pull out their quotes. Depth disappears faster than most models assume. The difference between quoted liquidity and durable liquidity becomes clear when conditions change.

What matters is not how the book looks at 10:00 a.m. on a quiet day. What matters is how it behaves during stress. Experienced quants know that but most of the market participants do not, as they struggle to close open positions gradually and then get liquidated during the stress events. We saw this in October, and a couple of times since.

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In execution analysis, slippage does not scale linearly with order size; it compounds. Once an order crosses a certain depth threshold, impact increases disproportionately. In volatile conditions, that threshold shrinks. Suddenly, even modest trades can move prices more than historical norms would suggest.

For institutional allocators, this is not a technical nuance. It is a risk management issue. Liquidity risk is not only about entering a position, it is about exiting when liquidity is scarce and correlations rise. Want to execute a couple of millions of some smaller coins? Good luck! Want to exit losing positions in less liquid coins when the market is busy like during the October crash? It can become catastrophic!

As digital asset markets continue to mature, the conversation needs to move beyond headline volume metrics and top level liquidity snapshots during the calm markets. The real measure of market quality is resilience and how consistently liquidity holds up under pressure.

In crypto, liquidity isn’t defined by what’s visible during normal stable conditions. It’s defined by what’s left when the market gets tested. That’s when capacity assumptions break and risk management takes center stage.

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Headlines of the Week

Francisco Rodrigues

Wall Street giants have kept moving deeper into the cryptocurrency space over the past week, while new data has shed light on just how large the space is in Russia and how big it could become in Asia. Major market participants Binance and Strategy have meanwhile doubled down on their massive BTC reserves.


Chart of the Week

Helium’s deflationary flip

Helium has surged 37.5% month-to-date, decoupling from the broader market as its fundamentals shift toward a deflationary model. Since the start of 2026, the protocol’s net emissions have turned negative, effectively neutralizing long-standing sell pressure. This transition is fueled by a jump in network demand, with daily Data Credit burns climbing from $30,000 to over $50,000 since the beginning of the year, signaling that utility-driven token destruction is now outpacing new issuance.

Chart: Helium Net Emissions v/s HBT Price

Listen. Read. Watch. Engage.

Looking for more? Receive the latest crypto news from coindesk.com and explore our robust Data & Indices offerings by visiting coindesk.com/institutions.


Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc., CoinDesk Indices or its owners and affiliates.

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Crypto World

MSTR Stock Price Could Dip 40% Despite New Bitcoin Buy?

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MSTR Stock Price Could Dip 40% Despite New Bitcoin Buy?

The MicroStrategy stock started the post-President’s Day session on a weak note. MSTR closed nearly 4% lower compared to its Feb. 13 (last Friday’s) close, reflecting renewed selling pressure despite positive corporate news.

This decline comes even after Strategy, previously MicroStrategy, added more Bitcoin, lowering its average purchase cost. However, charts now show that this latest BTC average drop didn’t mean much for the immediate fate of the MSTR. A much larger downside risk is forming beneath the surface.

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MicroStrategy’s Latest Bitcoin Buy Lowers Average Cost Only Slightly

MicroStrategy recently purchased 2,486 Bitcoin at an average price of $67,710. This latest acquisition increased its total holdings from 714,644 BTC earlier this month to 717,131 BTC.

Because this purchase was made below MicroStrategy’s previous average cost, it helped lower the company’s overall Bitcoin cost basis. MicroStrategy’s average acquisition price dropped from $76,052 (early this month) to $76,027 (at press time). This represents a $25 average cost reduction.

Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

Strategy Cost Basis: Strategy

While this technically improves MicroStrategy’s balance sheet, the impact remains small relative to its total position.

The company still holds Bitcoin at an average cost above $76,000, which remains significantly higher than many earlier cycle acquisitions. More importantly, market indicators show that big money investors are not reacting positively, even to this development.

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Capital Flow Signals Strategy Investors Remain Cautious

One key indicator explaining investor behavior is the Chaikin Money Flow, or CMF. This metric measures whether large investors are putting money into a stock or pulling money out by combining price and volume data. When CMF stays above zero, it signals net buying pressure. When it falls toward zero or below, it shows capital inflows are weakening.

Strategy’s CMF has been trending lower and is now sitting close to the zero line, on the brink of breaking below. It is also approaching a critical ascending trendline support. This shows that despite the latest Bitcoin purchase, large investors are not aggressively accumulating the MSTR stock. Instead, capital inflows remain weak.

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MicroStrategy CMF
MicroStrategy CMF: TradingView

This lack of conviction becomes more concerning when combined with weakening momentum signals.

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Hidden Bearish Divergence Warns of Potential Major MSTR Price Correction

Momentum analysis using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, shows a hidden bearish divergence forming. RSI measures buying and selling strength on a scale from 0 to 100 and helps identify weakening trends.

Between Dec. 9 and Feb. 13, MicroStrategy’s stock price formed a lower high, meaning the price failed to reach its previous peak. However, during the same period, RSI formed a higher high. This pattern is called hidden bearish divergence. It signals that sellers remain in control, and the downtrend is expected to continue. The MSTR stock price is down over 60% on a 6-month timeframe, highlighting the said downtrend.

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Bearish Divergence
Bearish Divergence: TradingView

This same signal appeared earlier between Dec. 9 and Jan. 14. After that divergence formed, MicroStrategy stock dropped more than 45%, falling to its recent low near $104. The appearance of a similar structure now suggests another correction could develop if selling pressure continues. But this time the correction can have similar consequences.

Bear Flag Structure Shows MSTR Stock Could Fall Much Further

MicroStrategy’s price structure now shows a bear flag pattern forming. A bear flag is a bearish continuation pattern where the price temporarily moves upward before continuing its larger downtrend. After falling sharply earlier this February, the MSTR stock rebounded. However, this rebound has remained within a rising channel that forms the flag portion of the pattern.

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MicroStrategy stock is currently trading near $128, very close to the lower boundary of this structure. If the price breaks below the $124 support level, the bear flag breakdown could begin.

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Based on the height of the previous decline, this breakdown could push MicroStrategy stock toward $71, provided support levels at $104 and 86 break. This would represent a decline of more than 40% from current levels.

MSTR Price Analysis
MSTR Price Analysis: TradingView

Recovery remains possible if buyers regain control. A move above $139 would weaken the bearish outlook, while a full recovery above $155 would invalidate the bearish structure entirely.

However, the bearish setup could also invalidate even without a sharp breakout. If the price continues rising slowly and the current channel extends beyond half of the original pole’s height, the bear flag would lose its validity. In that case, the structure would shift from a bearish continuation pattern into a broader recovery channel, reducing the immediate downside risk.

For now, MicroStrategy has successfully lowered its Bitcoin cost basis slightly. But capital flow weakness, bearish divergence, and fragile price structure all suggest that this small improvement may not be enough to prevent a larger stock correction.

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Robinhood Private Markets Fund Draws ICO Parallels

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Robinhood Private Markets Fund Draws ICO Parallels

Retail brokerage Robinhood announced plans to launch a fund that would give individual investors access to a basket of private companies. The initiative is positioned as an effort to address persistent imbalances in access to capital markets.

However, the structure has drawn comparisons to the initial coin offering (ICO) era. Though the fund will be regulated, it carries several material risks.

Opening Private Markets To Retail

Robinhood formally announced its Robinhood Ventures Fund I (RVI) on Tuesday, anticipating that it would go public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the coming weeks under the symbol RVI.

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The fund is set to offer exposure to a range of private companies, including Revolut, Oura, Ramp, Databricks, Airwallex, Mercor, and Boom. Robinhood also plans to broaden the portfolio over time, adding more private firms, including Stripe.

According to the press release, customers can request initial public offering (IPO) shares of RVI through Robinhood at $25 per share. 

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Unlike many traditional private market vehicles, RVI is structured to be available to a broad range of investors without accreditation requirements or minimum investment thresholds. The fund charges a management fee but does not impose performance fees. Its shares are expected to provide daily trading liquidity, subject to market conditions.

“Opening up private markets will resolve one of the greatest longstanding inequities in capital markets today, and we’re excited to bring these opportunities to all with Robinhood Ventures Fund I,” said Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev.

However, the move has generated skepticism about the underlying risks of indirectly investing in private companies. For crypto veterans, the structure echoes a familiar dynamic seen during the ICO boom.

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Lessons From The ICO Collapse

RVI provides retail investors with exposure to private growth companies, a segment of the market historically dominated by institutional capital. The fund is an SEC-registered, exchange-listed vehicle operating within established securities laws.

However, its underlying holdings are private companies whose valuations are based on infrequent funding rounds rather than being constantly priced by the public market. The companies’ reported value may not fully reflect changing market conditions until a new funding event forces a reassessment.

RVI is also a closed-end fund, meaning investors cannot sell their shares back at a guaranteed price. Instead, shares trade on the stock exchange, where the price can rise above or fall below the actual value of the companies the fund owns. 

As a result, investors face two layers of uncertainty: the underlying private-company valuations and the market price of the fund. The use of leverage could amplify gains but also magnify losses during market stress.

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Structural risks of this nature were most visible between 2017 and 2021, during the rapid expansion of ICOs.

During that boom, retail investors gained direct access to early-stage ventures, often driven by forward-looking narratives despite uncertain valuation frameworks and liquidity timelines.

By 2018, many ICO-funded projects failed to deliver viable products or sustainable revenue models. Token prices collapsed as speculative demand faded and regulators intensified scrutiny, wiping out billions and leaving retail investors with losses.

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The episode exposed weaknesses, including limited disclosure, information asymmetry, and heavy reliance on optimistic growth assumptions. While some projects evolved into legitimate networks, the broader ICO cycle became associated with valuation excesses and uneven risk distribution.

This structure does not make RVI equivalent to an ICO, but it helps explain why comparisons have emerged.

When High Valuations Limit Upside

In both cases, retail investors can access high-growth opportunities that were once largely restricted to institutions, even as transparency around valuations and exit timelines remains limited.

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The key concern raised by critics is not regulatory oversight, but risk distribution. 

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When access expands without continuous price discovery or guaranteed liquidity events, investors may face prolonged capital lock-up, sudden valuation adjustments, or exposure to elevated entry prices.

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Some skeptics have also pointed to the fund’s specific composition. Several of RVI’s highlighted holdings, including Stripe, Databricks, and Revolut, have recently raised capital at valuations of $140 billion, $134 billion, and $75 billion, respectively. 

Focusing on companies already valued very highly may leave less room for strong future gains. It could also increase the risk of price declines if private-market conditions weaken.

Others contend that traditional venture capital strategies often seek earlier-stage opportunities, where valuations are lower, but growth asymmetry is higher. 

In that framing, critics shift the debate from access to timing, arguing that retail investors are entering private markets after valuations have already climbed rather than before major growth takes places.

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Bitcoin Charts Project Fresh Lows In $50K Range: Will Altcoins Follow?

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Bitcoin Charts Project Fresh Lows In $50K Range: Will Altcoins Follow?

Key points:

  • Bitcoin remains under pressure, and the downside might accelerate if the $65,118 level is breached.

  • Several major altcoins are attempting a recovery, but the bears remain sellers on rallies.

Bitcoin (BTC) bulls are attempting to hold the price above $67,000, but the bears have continued to exert pressure. A positive sign for the bulls is that select analysts believe BTC may be bottoming out.

Analyst Jelle said in a post on X that all but one of BTC’s major bottoms had formed between the 200-week simple moving average ($58,371) and the 200-week exponential moving average ($68,065). BTC trading near the 200-week EMA suggests that the bottom formation process may have begun.

Similarly, Matrixport said in a post on X that BTC may be making a durable bottom. Matrixport said that when the 21-day moving average of its daily sentiment indicator dips below zero and starts to turn up, it suggests that the selling pressure is getting exhausted. Although that doesn’t rule out a decline in the near term, the readings indicate that BTC could be approaching another inflection point.

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Crypto market data daily view. Source: TradingView

Another positive projection for BTC came from Wells Fargo analyst Ohsung Kwon. In a note seen by CNBC, Kwon said additional savings from tax refunds, mostly from high-income consumers, could flow into equities and BTC, bringing back the “YOLO” trade.

Could BTC and the major altcoins overcome the overhead resistance levels? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

Bitcoin price prediction

BTC has been making higher lows in the short term, but the bulls have failed to push the price above the breakdown level of $74,508.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers are likely to make another attempt to pierce the overhead resistance at the 20-day EMA ($72,282) and the $74,508 level. If they can pull it off, the BTC/USDT pair may rally to the 50-day SMA ($83,129).

Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will attempt to defend the 20-day EMA and pull the Bitcoin price below the immediate support at $65,118. If they manage to do that, the pair might tumble to solid support at $60,000.

Ether price prediction

The bulls have maintained Ether (ETH) above the immediate support at $1,897, indicating buying on dips.

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ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers will again attempt to clear the overhead hurdle at the 20-day EMA ($2,183). If they succeed, the ETH/USDT pair may start a stronger recovery toward the 50-day SMA ($2,707). 

Contrarily, if the Ether price turns down and breaks below $1,897, it suggests that the bears are attempting to take charge. The pair may then drop to the critical support at $1,750. Buyers are expected to protect the $1,750 level with all their might, as a close below it may sink the pair to $1,537.

XRP price prediction

XRP (XRP) has been trading just below the 20-day EMA ($1.52), indicating that the bulls continue to exert pressure.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

That improves the prospects of a break above the 20-day EMA and the breakdown level of $1.61. The XRP price may then climb to the 50-day SMA ($1.80), signaling the XRP/USDT pair may remain inside the channel for some more time.

Buyers will have to thrust the price above the downtrend line to indicate a potential short-term trend change. On the contrary, a deeper fall might begin if the price turns down and plunges below the support line.

BNB price prediction

BNB (BNB) has been trading in a narrow range for the past few days, signaling indecision between the bulls and the bears.

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BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

If the BNB price turns down and plummets below the $570 support, it indicates the resumption of the downtrend. The BNB/USDT pair may then extend the decline to the psychological level at $500.

Buyers will have to push and maintain the price above the 20-day EMA ($676) to suggest that the selling pressure is reducing. The pair may then rally to $730 and subsequently to $790.

Solana price prediction

Solana (SOL) is facing resistance near the breakdown level of $95, indicating that the bears are active at higher levels.

SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The bears will attempt to strengthen their position by pulling the Solana price below the $76 support. If they manage to do that, it suggests that the bears have flipped the $95 level into resistance. The pair may then retest the Feb. 6 low of $67.

Buyers will have to overcome the $95 overhead hurdle to signal a comeback. If they can pull it off, the SOL/USDT pair may ascend to the 50-day SMA ($116), where the sellers are expected to mount a strong defense. 

Dogecoin price prediction

Dogecoin (DOGE) has been trading just below the 20-day EMA ($0.10), indicating a lack of selling at lower levels.

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DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

That increases the likelihood of a rally above the 20-day EMA. The DOGE/USDT pair may then climb to the 50-day SMA ($0.12). Sellers will attempt to halt the recovery at the $0.12 level, but if the bulls overcome the resistance, the Dogecoin price may soar to the $0.16 level.

Instead, if the price turns down from the $0.12 resistance, it suggests a possible range formation in the near term. The pair might swing between $0.08 and $0.12 for a few days.

Bitcoin Cash price prediction

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has been stuck between the moving averages, indicating uncertainty about the next directional move.

BCH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The upsloping 20-day EMA ($547) and the RSI just above the midpoint suggest a possible upside breakout. If that happens, the Bitcoin Cash price might rally to $600 and, after that, to $630.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down and breaks below the 20-day EMA, it signals that the bears have overpowered the bulls. That might start a correction toward the next support at $500.

Related: 4 data points suggest XRP price bottomed at $1.12: Are bulls ready to take over?

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Hyperliquid price prediction

Hyperliquid (HYPE) closed below the 20-day EMA ($30.26) on Tuesday, indicating selling at higher levels.

HYPE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers will attempt to maintain the Hyperliquid price above the 50-day SMA ($27.74), but if the bears prevail, the HYPE/USDT pair may tumble toward the solid support at $20.82. The flattish 20-day EMA and the RSI just below the midpoint suggest a range-bound action between $20.82 and $35.50 for some time.

The first sign of strength for the bulls is a close above the $32.50 level. That opens the doors for a rally to the $35.50 to $38.42 resistance zone.

Cardano price prediction

Cardano (ADA) has been clinging to the 20-day EMA ($0.29), indicating that the bulls have kept up the pressure.

ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The possibility of a break above the 20-day EMA remains high. If that happens, the ADA/USDT pair may climb toward the downtrend line, which is expected to act as a stiff resistance. If buyers pierce the downtrend line, the Cardano price may rally to $0.44 and then to $0.50.

Sellers will have to tug the price below the support line to regain control. If they manage to do that, the pair might slump toward $0.15.

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Monero price prediction

Monero (XMR) remains below the breakdown level of $360, but a positive sign is that the bulls have not allowed the price to slip below the immediate support at $309.

XMR/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Buyers will have to thrust the Monero price above the 20-day EMA ($366) to gain the upper hand. The XMR/USDT pair may then climb to the 50-day SMA ($449), where the bears are expected to step in.

On the downside, a break and close below the $309 level indicates that the bears remain in control. The pair may then retest the crucial $276 support. A strong rebound off the $276 level might result in a range-bound action for a few days.