Traders Tilt Bearish on August BTC, ETH Targets as Retail Lags Institutions
The post Traders Tilt Bearish on August BTC, ETH Targets as Retail Lags Institutions appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Good Morning, Asia. Here’s what’s making news in the markets: Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk’s Crypto Daybook Americas. As East Asia begins its trading day, BTC is trading at $116,263, down 1.1% on the day and 2% lower on the week, according to CoinDesk market data, while ETH sits at $4,322, off 3.8% in the last 24 hours but still up 2.6% weekly. The CoinDesk 20 (CD20), an index tracking the largest crypto assets, is down 2.4%. Polymarket odds suggest traders are bracing for weakness through the end of August. The most likely outcome for BTC is now a close below $111,000 with a 34% probability, while ETH’s highest-weighted scenario is a finish near $4,800 at 43%. Enflux, a Singapore-based market maker, said the market is being pulled in two directions. “The market remains caught between strong underlying institutional conviction, highlighted by Strategy Inc.’s additional 430 BTC purchase and structural financing shift, and a lack of immediate retail follow-through,” it wrote in a note to CoinDesk. Enflux pointed to VanEck’s reiterated $180,000 year-end bitcoin target as evidence that institutions are positioning for continuation, even as retail-favored narratives such as XRP and DOGE have been capped by the SEC’s delays on ETF approvals. Solana remains an exception, Enflux wrote, with “quiet strength” from its dominance in USDC transfers and PumpFun’s share of new token issuance. Still, derivatives positioning shows caution. QCP reported in a recent market update that perpetual funding rates turned negative over the weekend, a setup that preceded earlier pullbacks, and options skews now favor puts across maturities. The result is a market that looks structurally supported at the top but tactically defensive…
Filed under: News - @ August 19, 2025 6:27 am