Research Summary
The report analyzes the impact of Bitcoin ETFs on the cryptocurrency market, with a focus on Ethereum (ETH) and altcoins. It explores the market’s risk appetite for tokens, ETH’s outperformance, and divergences in altcoin price action relative to major cryptocurrencies.
Key Takeaways
Bitcoin ETF Impact on Market
- Bitcoin ETF Approval: The approval of Bitcoin ETFs led to a strong rally in Ether and Altcoins. Despite a correction in Bitcoin prices, investors are speculating on the next potential ETF approval, possibly for Ethereum.
- Market Dominance: Bitcoin has increased its market cap dominance from 38.9% to 49.8% since November 2022. ETH has maintained its market cap dominance, while Altcoins and Stablecoins have lost market share.
Ethereum’s Performance
- Ethereum Outperforms Bitcoin: Ethereum managed to outperform Bitcoin for the first time since October 2022, with increased activity in the derivatives market. This suggests a possible shift in capital flows.
- ETH’s Market Cap Dominance: Compared to Bitcoin, ETH has gained 2.9% in market cap dominance, indicating a small rebound in the market cap dominance of both ETH and Altcoins in general.
Altcoins and Solana
- Solana’s Performance: Solana (SOL) has seen outstanding price performance, gaining considerable market share over the last 12 months. However, unlike ETH, SOL’s price did not experience any significant upwards revaluation after the BTC ETF approvals.
- Altcoins Performance: Altcoins have not performed as well as ETH in recent weeks. ETH outperformed Altcoins generally, gaining +4.2% in global dominance.
Derivatives Market
- ETH Derivatives Market: Ethereum’s recent rally has led to a meaningful uptick in trade volume for both futures and options contracts. ETH markets experienced a total trade volume of $21.3B/day, surpassing the average volume of 2023 ($13.9B).
- ETH Futures Premium: There is a relatively larger funding rate premium for ETH futures, indicative of a relatively higher risk premium compared to Bitcoin. This suggests that there is not yet a substantial rise in speculative interest betting on relatively higher price movements for Ether.
Actionable Insights
- Monitor Ethereum’s Performance: Given Ethereum’s recent outperformance against Bitcoin, it may be beneficial to closely monitor its performance and market dominance.
- Assess Altcoins and Solana: Despite Ethereum’s dominance, Solana and other altcoins may present interesting dynamics in the market. Their performance should be assessed in relation to Ethereum and Bitcoin.
- Observe Derivatives Market: The derivatives market, particularly for Ethereum, may provide insights into market sentiment and potential shifts in capital flows.
