Bitcoin funding rates stayed negative for 46 days, the longest since 2023, forcing shorts to pay longs daily.

Bitcoin shorts didn’t just lose money when the squeeze hit; they had been losing money long before it arrived. 

For 46 consecutive days, funding rates stayed negative, forcing short traders to pay longs simply to hold their positions. 

According to CoinDesk, that stretch marked the longest negative funding period since 2023. When Strategy’s $2.54 billion purchase and Trump’s Iran ceasefire extension finally landed, the damage was already done. The catalysts were just the final blow. 

Negative funding rates made holding Bitcoin shorts expensive

Funding rates are periodic payments exchanged between long and short traders in perpetual futures markets. When rates turn negative, shorts pay longs to keep positions open. That cost runs on a clock, not a chart.

As Leverage.Trading outlines in its breakdown of funding rates, at 20x leverage, a 0.05 percent funding charge on notional exposure equals one percent of available margin per settlement. 

With three settlements occurring daily, that figure compounds fast. Leverage. Trading’s educational breakdown of funding mechanics lays out exactly how quickly those charges erode a position.

Over 46 days, that steady drain ate through an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the short margin before any major catalyst appeared. Directionally wrong traders were also paying for the privilege of staying wrong, every single day.

Shorts were already near liquidation before the news hit

By the time April’s headlines arrived, short positions were operating on a thin margin. Strategy announced the purchase of 34,164 BTC for $2.54 billion, sending Bitcoin climbing to $77,500, per CoinDesk. 

Trump’s Iran ceasefire extension added further risk appetite to the session. Both events hit close together.

The market didn’t need much upward pressure to trigger liquidations at that point. Margin had already been quietly stripped away over six weeks of negative funding. 

What looked like a sudden squeeze from the outside was actually the final stage of a much slower process.

Anton Palovaara of Leverage.Trading described it directly: 

“Forty-six days of negative funding doesn’t show up on a chart, but it shows up in your margin. By the time the ceasefire news hit, a lot of shorts were already running on fumes.” 

They added,

“The liquidations happened fast because the margin was already gone. The headline was just the match.”

Over $427 million in shorts liquidated as margin ran out

Finance Magnates reported more than $427 million in short liquidations across recent sessions. That number reflects how much trapped leverage had accumulated during the extended negative funding window. 

Shorts had been positioned for a price drop that kept not materializing.

On April 24, crypto trader CryptoBoss posted a breakdown connecting the setup to historical precedents. He noted that 50 days of deeply negative funding near the $15,500 bottom in 2022 preceded a 48 percent rally to $23,000. 

$BTC FUNDING RATES JUST WENT FULLY NUCLEAR NEGATIVE.

The entire market is balls deep short.
But here’s the brutal truth from history:
Extreme negative funding is NOT bearish — it’s napalm for shorts.

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Look at the past squeezes:

– 2022 FTX collapse: 50 days of deeply negative… pic.twitter.com/fgRJhbOaPN

— CryptoBoss (@CryptoBoss1984) April 24, 2026

A similar pattern played out during the 2021 China mining ban, where roughly 45 days of negative funding near $29,000 preceded a rally to $48,000.

The 2025 setup matched those conditions closely, with 46 days of negative funding while price ground steadily higher, not lower.

Coinbase premium and the $80k test signal: What comes next?

Alongside the liquidations, Coinbase Premium posted its longest bullish streak since October’s $126,000 high, per CoinDesk. 

That streak pointed to consistent spot buying pressure from U.S.-based investors running parallel to the derivatives squeeze. Spot demand and a short-saturated futures market rarely stay in tension for long.

Finance Magnates noted that Bitcoin is now testing the $80,000 breakout level. 

Whether that level holds depends on continued spot support and how remaining leveraged shorts respond. Positions that survived the squeeze are still carrying funding risk if rates stay elevated.

The 46-day bleed was not visible on most price charts. However, it showed up clearly in margin balances, and ultimately in the liquidation data that followed.

Strategy’s CEO has promoted its high-yield STRC stock as a way to cover personal expenses, drawing attention to the risks tied to its dividend structure.

According to comments made by Phong Le on Natalie Brunell’s show, the executive described STRC as an income-generating asset that could help investors manage recurring costs such as mortgages, utility bills, and car payments. He said the stock’s variable dividends “almost looks like a paycheck,” while noting that payments arrive regularly.

Le disclosed that he had personally purchased $250,000 worth of STRC, explaining the decision through his own financial setup. He said he holds a 1.75% 30-year mortgage and viewed STRC’s current 11.5% annualized dividend as a way to earn a higher return instead of paying down that debt. He described the approach as earning income from the spread between the dividend yield and his borrowing cost.

Details published by Strategy on its STRC information page state that cash dividends are not guaranteed, while the company’s board retains the authority to suspend payments and adjust the dividend rate at any time. The same disclosures also note that the stock carries no assurance of principal repayment.

During the same appearance, Le compared the consistency of STRC payouts to a salary, although the company’s own documentation outlines conditions under which those payments can be reduced or halted.

Le also addressed the composition of STRC’s investor base, stating that roughly 80% of holders are retail participants. His remarks framed these investors as individuals managing everyday financial obligations, including mortgages and bills, placing them among the primary users of the product he described.

The discussion has drawn parallels to earlier remarks by Michael Saylor, who in March 2021 encouraged the use of leverage, including mortgages, to acquire Bitcoin. Unlike those comments, Le’s remarks focused on STRC rather than bitcoin, positioning the company’s own stock as a yield-based alternative.

In the same interview, Le also said STRC “grew faster than the iPhone,” referring to the pace of stock sales. Standard accounting definitions, however, distinguish capital raised through stock issuance from revenue generated through the sale of goods or services.

Compensation disclosures cited in public filings show that Le’s annual pay has exceeded $15 million, placing his personal investment example in a different financial context than the retail investors he described.

The crypto market rose around 1.2% on Friday, with total market capitalization ticking higher as a wave of short liquidations and stronger tech-led risk sentiment lifted prices despite persistent geopolitical tensions.

Bitcoin (BTC) climbed roughly 1.5% to trade near the $77,000 level after rebounding from recent lows, while Ethereum (ETH) gained about 1% to hover around $2,200. Major altcoins such as XRP (XRP), BNB (BNB), and Solana (SOL) also moved higher by 1–2%, reflecting a broader recovery across the market.

The move higher was largely driven by a short squeeze in derivatives markets. More than $150 million in crypto positions were liquidated over the past 24 hours, with roughly 70% of those tied to short positions. The forced unwinding of bearish bets added upward pressure as traders rushed to cover positions.

The rebound comes even as geopolitical risks remain elevated, particularly around the U.S.–Iran standoff.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said the U.S. naval presence near Iranian ports amounts to an “extension of military operations,” calling it “intolerable.” U.S. President Donald Trump added that Washington “might need” to restart military action, while offering limited transparency on the status of negotiations.

Despite these developments, markets showed signs of resilience, suggesting that much of the geopolitical risk may already be priced in for now. Oil prices remained elevated but steadied after recent volatility linked to the Strait of Hormuz tensions. Brent crude held near the $110–$111 per barrel range, while WTI crude traded just below that level, easing slightly from recent spikes that had raised fears of supply disruptions.

At the same time, safe-haven assets softened. Gold slipped over 1% during the session, while silver also declined, indicating a partial rotation back into risk assets. This shift provided additional support to crypto markets.

Alphabet Inc. rally lifts tech and crypto-linked equities

Broader market sentiment improved sharply after Alphabet Inc. shares surged roughly 10% following stronger-than-expected earnings driven by its cloud and AI segments. The move added hundreds of billions of dollars in market value and lifted global tech stocks.

The rally extended into Asian markets, where tech-heavy indices such as the Nikkei 225 moved higher, reinforcing a risk-on tone across asset classes.

Crypto-linked equities also tracked the move. Shares of Coinbase and MicroStrategy rose alongside Bitcoin’s recovery, reflecting renewed investor appetite for digital asset exposure. Mining stocks also saw gains as improving prices and sentiment supported the sector.

While the latest move points to improving near-term sentiment, analysts note that crypto markets remain highly sensitive to further developments in U.S.–Iran tensions, oil price movements, and shifts in global liquidity conditions.

Tom Lee’s Bitmine has staked about $508 million worth of Ethereum in a recent move tracked by Arkham. 

The transfers were routed through institutional channels, adding to the firm’s ongoing staking strategy.

The latest activity comes as Bitmine continues to increase its exposure to Ethereum. On-chain data shows the firm has now staked more than 4 million ETH, valued at about $9.3 billion, representing around 10.5% of total staked supply.

ETH holdings cross 5 million milestone

Recent disclosures show Bitmine’s total Ethereum holdings have crossed 5 million ETH. The company reported holdings of about 5.07 million ETH, marking a key milestone in its accumulation strategy.

Chairman Tom Lee said, “Bitmine ETH holdings crossed 5 million this past week,” noting the pace of accumulation has been rapid.

The firm now holds more than 4% of the total ETH supply. This places Bitmine among the largest institutional holders of Ethereum in the market.

Strategy focuses on staking and supply control

Bitmine has focused on staking a large share of its ETH holdings. More than 4 million ETH is already deployed in staking programs, generating yield while reducing liquid supply.

The company’s broader plan targets holding a larger share of Ethereum supply. Reports indicate a strategy aimed at securing up to 5% of total ETH over time through continued purchases and staking.

This approach combines accumulation with yield generation. Staked ETH contributes to validator activity while producing ongoing rewards tied to network participation.

Market watches concentration and institutional activity

Bitmine’s growing position has drawn attention to staking concentration. Large allocations of ETH in staking reduce available supply on the open market and increase the role of institutional participants.

The company has expanded its holdings steadily in recent months. Earlier filings showed ETH holdings around 4.5 million tokens before the recent increase past 5 million.

TLDR:

• Stablecoin supply has surpassed $300B as banks and payment firms begin direct integration into financial systems.
  
• B2B transfers account for $226B of real usage, making it the largest and fastest-growing stablecoin category today.
  
• Real-economy usage sits at just $390B of $35T in annual volume, showing how early adoption still is globally.
  
• Asia, led by Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, is outpacing the West in practical, real-world stablecoin deployment.

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Stablecoins are gradually moving beyond crypto-native activity into mainstream financial infrastructure worldwide.

Supply has already exceeded $300 billion, while banks and payment companies pursue direct integration. Regulatory frameworks are becoming clearer across major markets at the same time.

Annual transaction volume sits around $35 trillion, yet real-economy usage remains roughly $390 billion. That figure represents barely over 1% of total activity. The infrastructure is being built well before broader adoption fully arrives.

B2B Payments Emerge as the Clearest Use Case for Stablecoins

Stablecoins are finding their strongest real-world application in business-to-business payments today. Cross-border transfers remain slow, expensive, and full of friction for many companies.

Settlement often takes days, while liquidity regularly gets locked in transit. Smaller businesses tend to face far worse banking conditions than large institutions.

Around $226 billion of real usage comes from company-to-company transfers today. This makes B2B the largest real-economy stablecoin category by a clear margin.

That figure is growing quickly because the problem it addresses is well understood. Fewer intermediaries and 24/7 settlement rails deliver measurable savings for businesses.

As analyst @WorldOfMercek noted, traditional finance and blockchain rails are “no longer moving in completely separate worlds.” Banks are actively adopting crypto infrastructure because the operational benefits are hard to dismiss.

The old “crypto versus banks” narrative has given way to steady convergence. Financial institutions are integrating stablecoin rails for practical, well-documented economic reasons.

Most of the $35 trillion in annual volume still comes from trading, DeFi, and exchange settlement. Real-economy usage at $390 billion remains just over 1% of that total. Rails are always built before populations fully transition to using them.

Asia Leads Real Usage While Integration Remains the Biggest Barrier

Geographic data shows that Asia is ahead of the West in practical stablecoin use. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan account for a large share of real-world transactions.

Western markets spend more time discussing potential than actively deploying stablecoins at scale. Asia is already applying them where they directly solve payment and business problems.

Retail usage is growing, though it remains a smaller portion of the overall market. Consumer payments and daily card spending are not the leading story just yet.

That category will likely expand once rails integrate more deeply into existing payment systems. Most users care about speed, cost, and reliability — not which infrastructure moves their money.

The actual bottleneck today is not the technology — it already works. Bank connectivity, payment network access, regulatory clarity, and institutional trust are the real gaps remaining. Those barriers are narrowing as more traditional players enter the space.

Stablecoins are not displacing the financial system on any rapid timeline. Instead, they are being absorbed into it consistently and quietly over time.

That process tends to look slow until it suddenly feels inevitable to outside observers. The most consequential chapter of the stablecoin story is likely still ahead.

Bitcoin traded at $77,250 at press time, with 24-hour volume at $30.89 billion, per crypto.news data. 

The asset gained 2% in the past day but remained down slightly over seven days.

The price has recovered from earlier weakness and now trades in a short-term uptrend. The chart shows higher lows since mid-March, pointing to steady demand from buyers.

Analyst says $79K remains key

Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe said Bitcoin tends to behave positively at the start of a new month. He also expects spot Bitcoin ETF flows to improve in the coming week.

He said, “If $79K breaks, the next resistance zone is at $86-88K.” A move into that range could improve market confidence and support stronger altcoin performance.

Notably, Bitcoin is consolidating below the $79,000 resistance area. A clean move above this level would confirm stronger short-term momentum.

The moving average on the chart is rising, while the price remains above it. This supports the current bullish setup, although volume has not shown a major breakout signal.

Support sits near $73,000 to $74,000. A drop below this zone could weaken the current structure. Deeper support appears near $65,000 and $60,000.

Analysts remain split on May trend

Ali Martinez said Bitcoin shows similarities to its 2022 bottoming structure. He stated that this could allow another push higher before a final move lower.

He also noted that more than 10,000 BTC, worth about $760 million, moved to exchanges over the past week. Exchange inflows can signal possible selling pressure.

Daan Crypto Trades noted that May does not clearly support the “sell in May and go away” idea for Bitcoin. He noted that May ranks as Bitcoin’s sixth-best month by average return and third-best by median return.

Doctor Profit said Bitcoin has moved in a sideways box since February. He placed the local top around the $83,000 to $85,000 region.

The US CLARITY Act, which aims to provide the US crypto industry with more regulatory clarity, could now move closer to becoming law after new stablecoin yield provisions were published, according to Coinbase chief legal officer Faryar Shirzad.

“It’s time to get CLARITY done,” Shirzad said in an X post on Friday, after US Senator Thom Tillis and US Senator Angela Alsobrooks published the final text aimed at settling the stablecoin yield dispute between the banking and crypto industries, which has centered on whether such yields would harm the banking system’s competitiveness.

“In the end, the banks were able to get more restrictions on rewards, but we protected what matters – the ability for Americans to earn rewards, based on real usage of crypto platforms and networks,” Shirzad said.

Extract of the “SEC 404. Prohibiting interest and yield on payment stablecoins” document. Source: Alex Thorn

The text titled “SEC 404. Prohibiting interest and yield on payment stablecoins” states that no crypto firm may pay “any form of interest or yield” to customers solely for holding stablecoins, akin to a bank deposit or any similar interest-bearing product. 

Source: Patrick Witt

However, it allows firms to offer rewards tied to “bona fide activities.” Some industry executives voiced frustration with the ruling. Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz said, “The clarity of not getting risk-free yield on your dollars without using a bank.”

Polymarket traders anticipate 55% odds of CLARITY passing in 2026

It marks a significant step forward for both the legislation and the broader crypto industry, as the stablecoin yield debate had been one of the main roadblocks delaying its passage, despite expectations earlier this year that it would move through Congress.

Source: Toly Yakovenko

“Now that this issue is behind us, it’s time to focus on the broader bill,” Shirzad said.

Traders on the Polymarket crypto prediction market now see a 55% chance of the CLARITY Act being signed into law in 2026, up 9% over the past 24 hours.

Many in the industry are now calling for the bill to be marked up. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said shortly after the announcement, “Mark it up.”

Senate Banking Committee could schedule markup “imminently”

Galaxy Digital head of firmwide research Alex Thorn said the “release of text suggests that Senate Banking will schedule markup imminently, as soon as the week of May 11.”

Related: Spot Bitcoin ETF outflows top $490M: Is BTC’s rally losing momentum?

However, Thorn warned that he expects “the banks to increase their opposition efforts.”

US Senator Bernie Moreno recently said that he anticipates the CLARITY Act to “get done” by the end of May. On April 11, US Senator Cynthia Lummis said, “It’s now or never.”

Magazine: Why is Ethereum Foundation selling? BTC futures warning signs: Market Moves

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

TLDR:

• Bitcoin and Ethereum gained over 20% while gold and silver posted sharp losses during the conflict
• ETF inflows and 24/7 crypto trading supported faster price discovery during market uncertainty
• Gold faced selling pressure as crowded defensive positions unwound across traditional markets
• Liquidity expectations replaced fear-driven trading, boosting digital assets over safe-haven metals

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Crypto markets and traditional metals have moved in opposite directions during recent geopolitical tension, as digital assets outperformed while gold and silver weakened.

Liquidity conditions, ETF inflows, and positioning shifts have reshaped how investors allocate capital across defensive and risk assets.

Liquidity-driven rotation reshapes haven dynamics

The relationship between Bitcoin and gold has shifted as capital flows respond more to liquidity expectations than fear-based positioning. Digital assets, led by Bitcoin and Ethereum, recorded gains above 20 percent during the period under review.

At the same time, precious metals faced sustained pressure, with gold and silver posting notable declines. This divergence reflects a broader reassessment of where investors seek protection during geopolitical uncertainty.

Market behavior suggests that modern safe havens are increasingly influenced by policy expectations. Traders appear to anticipate monetary easing rather than prolonged disruption, encouraging allocation toward higher-beta assets.

Crypto markets benefit from continuous trading cycles, allowing immediate reaction to global developments. This 24/7 structure creates faster price discovery compared to metals, which rely on fixed trading hours and slower adjustment periods.

Institutional flows further reinforced this divergence. Bitcoin ETF inflows exceeding $1.1 billion supported demand during volatility windows, reducing downside pressure and strengthening momentum across crypto markets.

Gold entered the period with elevated positioning, limiting fresh inflows when geopolitical catalysts emerged. Instead of new accumulation, profit-taking dominated, adding to downward pressure on prices.

Positioning shifts and macro signals redefine asset hierarchy

The evolving contrast between digital assets and metals highlights a shift in how markets interpret risk. Instead of relying solely on traditional hedges, investors increasingly favor instruments tied to liquidity cycles and growth expectations.

A widely circulated market note captured this sentiment, stating that crypto rallied while metals declined as liquidity replaced fear-based trading. This reflects a broader structural change in cross-asset behavior.

Macroeconomic conditions also contributed to the divergence. A stronger dollar and elevated interest rate expectations reduced demand for non-yielding assets such as gold and silver.

Bitcoin and Ethereum benefited from leveraged positioning in derivatives markets, amplifying price movement during periods of increased inflows. This structural leverage allowed faster repricing compared to commodity markets.

Equity indices, including the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500, also recorded gains during the same period. This supported a broader risk-on environment aligned with expectations of policy stability rather than crisis escalation.

Copper prices remained relatively stable, signaling limited expectations of severe industrial disruption. This reinforced the view that markets were pricing contained geopolitical risk rather than systemic shock.

The evolving contrast between crypto and metals reflects a broader redefinition of safe-haven behavior, where liquidity responsiveness now plays a central role in determining asset preference.

Tether posts $1.04B Q1 profit on a $191.8B reserve stack, leaning on US Treasuries while expanding into gold and bitcoin as stablecoin scrutiny rises.

Tether International said in its Q1 2026 attestation that it generated more than $1.04 billion in operating profit during the quarter, while total assets climbed to $191.8 billion against roughly $183 billion of USDT in circulation, extending the stablecoin issuer’s already massive footprint in global dollar liquidity.

The reserve composition remains heavily concentrated in U.S. government debt, with Treasury exposure at about $141 billion, alongside $20 billion in gold and $7 billion in bitcoin, giving Tether one of the largest balance sheets in the digital asset sector.

The numbers also reinforce how much of Tether’s earnings power still comes from high-yielding sovereign paper, a model that helped the company report more than $10 billion in profit in 2025 and build a multi-billion-dollar excess reserve cushion in prior disclosures.

Treasury scale drives earnings

Tether’s latest attestation shows the company continuing to lean on short-duration U.S. government securities and cash-equivalent instruments to back USDT, a structure it has repeatedly described as centered on “highly liquid, low-risk assets.”

That matters because interest income on Treasuries remains the engine of profitability: when rates stay elevated, Tether collects yield on a reserve base that now sits near $192 billion, turning scale into earnings faster than most crypto-native businesses can match.

The diversification into gold and bitcoin adds a second layer to the story. Gold holdings have risen from more than $17 billion earlier this year to about $20 billion now, while bitcoin reserves stand at $7 billion, giving Tether more exposure to non-dollar assets even as USDT itself stays pegged to the dollar.

Context across crypto markets

The update lands as stablecoins become more deeply embedded in trading, payments, and DeFi settlement, and as Tether’s role keeps expanding beyond issuance into capital allocation, infrastructure, and strategic investments.

And earlier reporting also showed the company’s surge in profits and Treasury holdings, which showed the same core pattern now visible in Q1 2026: more reserves, more Treasuries, more profit.

Previously, Tether said it was pursuing its first full audit with a Big Four accounting firm, a step meant to answer long-running transparency criticism as reserves keep growing.

And in related news, Tether’s gold position was already highlighted as a major contributor to the firm’s expanding reserve diversification strategy.