The post Bitcoin Institutional Longs Hit Historic Extremes Signaling a Potential Market Shift appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

The crypto market is seeing a dramatic change in the way markets operate currently. Analysis of current data on non-commercial traders, including hedge funds and financial institutions, indicates historically elevated positioning. It suggests that Bitcoin futures are at an unprecedented level of net long open interest. This is evidence of the “smart money” accumulation position for a very large move, like how it has historically accumulated prior to substantial price increases. Decoding the Institutional Surge At the center of this study is the COT report, commonly referred to as the Commitment of Trader’s report. This report provides an overview of what traders are doing in the market, focusing on the non-commercial traders, i.e. speculators. Recently, market analyst Michal Van De Poppe stated that the red line (net short) on the log scale bitcoin futures market has dropped below its lowest point. When this line drops below zero, it indicates that there is a large shift in the market; that is, institutions are no longer using short hedges and have instead gone “max long”. Repeatedly, over time, these types of positioning imbalances have been a strong indication of what will happen next. Similar to what was seen going into the end of Q-3 2023 just prior to Bitcoin’s major run-up, current positioning reflects strong institutional interest. However, an institution taking a long position does not guarantee an immediate straight-line price increase; instead, it signals that many sophisticated investors hold strong conviction about Bitcoin’s future value. Lessons from Market History – 2023 and 2025 In order to understand the present market, you need to look back at the history of extreme readings. There are two main and historical examples of extreme readings, or near extremes, in institutional positioning. The first acted as the starting point for the market’s recovery from the 2023…

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Filed under: News - @ February 22, 2026 5:21 pm