News linked to both this project and an event.
: Crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX has announced it will shut down, with trading scheduled to conclude on September 23. Founded in 2014 by Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed, BitMEX made the decision after a strategic review by its parent company, HDR Global Trading. BitMEX played a pioneering role in making perpetual contracts a key product in digital asset derivatives trading. Data from CryptoQuant shows that its Bitcoin futures daily trading volume began to decline around May 2021 and has failed to recover to its peak daily range of $1 billion to $5 billion seen in 2020. Restructuring advisor Roshan Dharia stated that mid-tier centralized exchanges face structural pressures, with liquidity increasingly concentrating on larger platforms and compliance costs rising. He noted that the top five platforms are currently estimated to control 80% of global spot trading volume, while mid-tier and regional exchanges are seeing narrowing profit margins and lack clear paths to scale. According to CoinGecko data, BitMEX ranked ninth among derivatives exchanges in August 2023, holding a 0.9% market share. By 2025, it was no longer among the top ten perpetual contract exchanges. Over the same period, these platforms saw their annual perpetual contract trading volume grow by 47.4%, reaching $86.2 trillion.
CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost posted on X platform, pointing out that Bitcoin has been oscillating around the key support level of $60,000 for nearly 165 days, failing to hold firm and reignite upward momentum. One core reason is the market's lack of new liquidity. Over the past 30 days, the net outflow of stablecoin reserves from Binance and Bybit has approached $2.3 billion. New demand, whether flowing into Bitcoin or the entire crypto market, remains weak. Since the beginning of this year, stablecoin reserves on exchanges have continued to decline. This rather pessimistic market sentiment continues to restrict the funding support needed for Bitcoin to break out of its current consolidation range.However, as regulatory measures like the GENIUS Act require stablecoins to improve compliance, the decentralized nature of the stablecoin ecosystem may be weakened. In the long term, Bitcoin's decentralized characteristics could thereby become more prominent.
According to a report released by CryptoQuant analyst maartunn, Binance's monthly futures trading volume has climbed to $1.6 trillion, the highest level this year. Despite the current Bitcoin price still hovering in the mid-$60,000 range, generally cautious market sentiment, and multiple headwinds such as the European MiCA regulatory adjustment period and the summer trading off-season, momentum in Binance derivatives trading has not subsided, indicating that traders are still actively establishing futures positions.
According to CryptoQuant analyst MorenoDV_, abnormal surges in trading volume in the Bitcoin market typically precede significant price re-pricings and serve as a key “footprint” signaling large-capital inflows. In the current cycle, the relative weight of spot trading volume has been diluted by ETFs and derivatives; while some institutional capital flows in via regulated channels, a sudden surge in spot volume still reflects genuine chip transfer, accumulation, or distribution activity. Derivatives trading volume has become the core mechanism driving volatility transmission. Its anomalies are often accompanied by liquidity sweeps and leverage resets, indicating that “smart money” is leveraging futures and perpetual contracts to position itself ahead of time. Analysts note that abnormal volume clustering occurred prior to multiple critical turning points between 2024 and 2026; when prices are compressed or uncertain, such abnormal volume expansion typically signals the imminent onset of a larger-scale directional move.
CryptoQuant analyst Axel Adler stated that Bitcoin weakened rapidly after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 3.50%-3.75% and released a relatively hawkish dot plot, falling below the $64,000 mark and dropping about 4% from its intraday high.This meeting marked the Fed's fourth consecutive pause, but the latest dot plot indicates a significant shift towards a hawkish policy path: several officials now expect the possibility of further rate hikes this year, further diminishing the market's pricing of "rate cut expectations." Analysts believe this change has a greater impact than the rate decision itself, directly suppressing risk asset valuations.Market data shows that Bitcoin initially surged to around $66,400 following the announcement, before quickly reversing downward amid heavy selling pressure, hitting a low of approximately $63,870. Trading volume notably expanded, indicating active selling-driven declines. The price is currently consolidating near the lower end of the $63,600–$64,000 range, with no significant inbound capital from bargain hunting.In stark contrast is gold's performance. Spot gold rapidly recovered after briefly dipping to around $4,220, climbing back above the $4,300 level to trade near $4,321, demonstrating strong defensive attributes and capital absorption capacity. Even against a backdrop of easing geopolitical risks, safe-haven demand remains resilient.Market participants pointed out that the core divergence in this round of reaction lies in the repricing of asset attributes: gold completed a swift recovery under the same macroeconomic shock, while Bitcoin failed to reclaim the key level of $64,000, highlighting the higher sensitivity of risk assets to "higher-for-longer interest rates."Overall, the market is transitioning from a phase of "loose expectations supporting risk assets" to one of "hawkish path suppressing valuations," with short-term risk appetite clearly cooling. The key observation point is whether Bitcoin can re-enter the $64,000–$65,000 range with volume confirming stability; otherwise, a weak consolidation structure may persist.
According to Digital Asset, domestic virtual asset trading volume in South Korea has fallen to approximately 8% of KOSPI trading volume—less than one-tenth. Media statistics show that, as of May 26, the ratio of trading volume on Korean won-based exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax) to KOSPI trading volume stood at just 8%. The report notes that South Korea’s virtual asset market has been weakening continuously since the second half of 2025; it declined sharply following a large-scale futures liquidation event in October 2025, while the KOSPI strengthened amid a semiconductor upcycle and supportive government policies. Additionally, according to CryptoQuant data, the Bitcoin Korea Premium indicator has been negative for most of the time since March, reflecting weak buying demand in the Korean market.
Odaily Bitcoin remained consolidating above $77,000 on Wednesday, with markets cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision. According to market data, Bitcoin fluctuated within the range of approximately $75,689 to $77,837 during the session, and is currently trading around $77,100.This FOMC meeting is seen as a pivotal event. Markets widely expect interest rates to remain unchanged, but the real focus is on whether Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will signal a "higher-for-longer" hawkish stance. Additionally, this meeting may be his last as Fed Chair, with markets simultaneously pricing in uncertainty regarding policy direction and potential power transitions.On the capital front, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a reversal after nine consecutive days of net inflows. SoSoValue data shows that on April 28, ETFs recorded net outflows of approximately $89.68 million. Among them, BlackRock's IBIT saw a single-day outflow of about $112 million. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs also logged net outflows of $21.8 million.On-chain data also signals caution. CryptoQuant noted that on April 27, exchange net inflows reached 9,905 BTC, the largest single-day inflow in nearly 30 days. Exchange reserves have also rebounded recently. If these inflows are not quickly absorbed, prices could retest the support range of $74,000–$75,000.On the macroeconomic front, fluctuations in crude oil prices and shifts in the Middle East energy landscape continue to influence inflation expectations. Some analysts believe this could limit the Fed's room for future easing. Meanwhile, market liquidity continues to weaken, with institutional trading volumes and perpetual contract activity both at low levels. This means any policy surprise could amplify price volatility.Overall, Bitcoin remains in a "low liquidity + high event risk" structure and may continue to oscillate within the $72,000 to $80,000 range in the short term, awaiting further clarity on the Fed's policy path. (The Block)