Analyst: BTC short funding costs are high, and open interest (OI) has rebounded to a high level—this is not an ideal time to initiate short positions.

According to on-chain analyst Murphy (@Murphychen888), BTC’s price has risen to around $79,000. The open interest (OI) in the futures market has rebounded to its recent high of 472,000 BTC, indicating continued leverage accumulation. During yesterday’s peak period, short positions paid funding fees to longs at an average rate of $604,000 per hour—lower than the April 17 peak ($790,000) but still significantly above the 7-day average ($197,000). Murphy notes that elevated OI combined with deepening negative basis creates conditions where a price rebound could trigger forced liquidations or margin calls among shorts, generating strong buying pressure and sparking a short squeeze. Historically, similar conditions preceded rebounds on March 9 and April 13; currently, opening new short positions offers unattractive risk-reward odds.