Citi Says Crypto Market Leverage, Open Interest Are Historically Low

The bank expects a broader focus on decentralization in 2023 following this year’s failings in centralized crypto ventures.

AccessTimeIconDec 14, 2022 at 10:47 a.m. UTC
Updated May 9, 2023 at 4:04 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

The past year in the digital asset market has been characterized by a series of negative shocks, triggered initially by the collapse of Terra/LUNA, Citi (C) said in a research report Monday looking back on the year.

“Leverage, volatility and interest have faded as investors battle with declining prices,” analysts led by Joseph Ayoub wrote. “Retail interest has broadly diminished as prices have declined,” and this has “coincided with a more general decline in volatility.”

  • How NEAR Enables Multichain Access From One Account
    00:56
    How NEAR Enables Multichain Access From One Account
  • Three Crypto Predictions in 2024
    02:07
    Three Crypto Predictions in 2024
  • Crypto Market Leaders and Laggards in 2023
    01:50
    Crypto Market Leaders and Laggards in 2023
  • Why Injective's INJ Has Surged 3,000% in 2023
    00:52
    Why Injective's INJ Has Surged 3,000% in 2023
  • Institutional interest has also declined. This “loss of trust” followed the failure of many centralized entities, and is reflected in exchange-traded product (ETP) flows, which have remained negative throughout the year, the report said.

    Against a broader macro backdrop of inflation concerns, rising interest rates and tightening financial conditions, total crypto market cap has declined by about 61% compared to an 18% drop for the S&P 500 index, the report added.

    The bank says the bankruptcies of crypto exchange FTX and lenders Celsius Network and Voyager Digital were failures of centralized entities rather than decentralized entities, “perhaps signifying the resilience of decentralized finance protocols.” Decentralized finance (DeFi) is an umbrella term for a variety of financial applications carried out on a blockchain.

    Bitcoin open interest saw a significant decline, the note said. It started the year at more than $23 billion and has dropped to around $9 billion. Leverage has also largely declined. Open interest is the total number of outstanding derivative contracts held by investors and represents active positions.

    The bank notes there is still over $150 billion in market cap across stablecoins. This type of cryptocurrency saw only 5% net redemptions in 2022. However, relative declines show different investor behavior and diverging confidence in stablecoins, with tether (USDT) losing as much as $10 billion in market cap, while USD coin (USDC) stayed roughly level and Binance USD (BUSD) increased.

    Spot trading volumes have remained resilient despite falling crypto prices, and decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes have grown in recent weeks following the collapse of FTX. The demise of FTX has “further bolstered policymaker calls for crypto regulation, placing a greater emphasis on consumer protection,” according to the note.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Author placeholder image

    Will Canny is CoinDesk's finance reporter.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.



    Read more about