Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report delves into macro events; the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume; and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

In the past week, cryptocurrencies have surged as optimism grows that the US-China trade war may be easing. Following two days of talks, the US announced a 90-day tariff reduction on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%. ETH has been the biggest winner among the top 10 tokens, rising 40% in a week, though this has led to significant changes in implied volatility. BTC regained $100K for the first time since early February, with positive bias in OTM call skews, but its volatility market remains weak compared to ETH.

Please check out the report’s highlights.

Open interest for ETH surged by $900M over the past week, coinciding with a 40% rise in its spot price. This increase followed US-China trade negotiations, leading to a temporary 30% tariff reduction on Chinese goods. On May 12, 2025, after US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent confirmed the agreement, open interest and perpetual trading volumes hit monthly highs of $9B and $23B, respectively. While open interest has stabilized, trading volumes declined after peaking during a brief pause in the crypto rally between May 11 and 12, 2025.

BTC volatility smiles suggest risk-on sentiment

Despite low short-term volatility expectations, BTC's short-tenor smiles indicate a continued risk-on sentiment, with a 5% skew toward out-of-the-money calls. Early in the week, put option volume surpassed $200M, outpacing $140M for calls, while open interest remains higher for puts than calls.

ETH has outperformed BTC for the second consecutive week, achieving a remarkable 59% return over the past month. This rally came with volatility: ETH's front-end volatility briefly doubled BTC’s 7-day tenor, leading to an inverted term structure. By Monday, ETH had pulled back some gains, causing front-end volatility to drop swiftly, a faster resolution than seen in previous inversions.

However, another rise in spot price toward $2.6K reignited volatility expectations. Open interest and options trading for ETH remain skewed toward calls, with volumes exceeding $150M on May 13, 2025, coinciding with a second price surge after a brief retreat on May 12, 2025.

Advanced

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Bybit X Block Scholes crypto derivatives analytics report (May 14, 2025): BTC volatility remains weak relative to ETH

Strategic Bitcoin reserve (SBR): Established on March 6, 2025, integrating Bitcoin into national reserves

Strategic Bitcoin reserve hopes are all the rage

On March 6, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish the nation's first strategic Bitcoin reserve (SBR). This pivotal initiative positions Bitcoin alongside traditional reserves like gold and oil, signaling a significant endorsement of digital assets by the federal government. The SBR aims to centralize and manage all Bitcoin acquired through legal forfeitures, ensuring these assets serve as long-term strategic holdings rather than being sold off.

The creation of the SBR reflects Trump's broader vision of making the US a global leader in cryptocurrency. By integrating Bitcoin into national reserves, the administration seeks to harness the benefits of digital currencies while providing a hedge against economic turbulence. This strategic move has also spurred state-level policies, as seen in New Hampshire, where legislation was recently passed allowing state investments in cryptocurrencies and precious metals. Such developments indicate a growing trend of governmental adoption of digital assets, reinforcing the legitimacy of cryptocurrencies in the financial landscape.

Institutional accumulation drives down Bitcoin availability

In the private sector, institutional investors are increasingly accumulating Bitcoin. Companies like Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) have expanded their holdings significantly, purchasing an additional 13,390 BTC for $1.34 billion, which brings their total to 568,840 BTC. Similarly, Metaplanet Inc. invested $126 million to acquire 1,241 BTC, surpassing the national Bitcoin holdings of some countries. This trend highlights a shift in Bitcoin ownership, with retail investors often taking profits during market rallies, leading to a redistribution of Bitcoin toward institutional entities.

As of May 13, 2025, over 19.86 million BTC have been mined. Wallets holding at least 100 BTC account for 60.84% of the total supply, while those with 10 or more BTC control 82.51%. With Bitcoin's price once again having surpassed $100K, it becomes evident that only about 17.5% of Bitcoin is held by wallets with less than $1 million in BTC. This concentration of ownership raises concerns about market accessibility for smaller investors.

The 10–100 BTC tier is primarily composed of small institutional investors, while wallets with over 100 BTC are predominantly held by institutions and liquidity providers. This oligarchic trend suggests that as cryptocurrency market caps rise, retail traders may feel pressured to sell during downturns, further consolidating wealth among larger holders. Notably, the increasing costs associated with 

, such as electricity and equipment, compel many miners — often retail investors — to sell portions of their holdings to cover expenses, exacerbating this trend.

Bitcoin concentration leaves smaller investors at disadvantage

The establishment of the SBR represents a critical milestone in the integration of digital assets into national financial strategies, positioning the US at the forefront of the cryptocurrency revolution. As of mid-May 2025, Bitcoin's price has fluctuated between $102K and $105K, maintaining an optimistic long-term outlook despite short-term volatility. Continued institutional interest, bolstered by supportive governmental policies, enhances the legitimacy and stability of Bitcoin as an asset class.

However, as smaller investors continue to sell during market rallies, larger wallets are increasingly accumulating supply, tightening their grip on the market. Currently, over 80% of Bitcoin's supply is held in wallets containing $1 million or more in BTC. This trend suggests that while individual portfolios may grow, retail investors could find themselves at a disadvantage in an increasingly concentrated market.

In conclusion, the strategic Bitcoin reserve and the surge in institutional investments signal a positive shift for Bitcoin's legitimacy and its role in the global financial system. However, the growing disparity in Bitcoin ownership underscores the need for retail investors to navigate the market carefully. As these dynamics evolve, awareness of trends in institutional accumulation and wealth concentration will be crucial for all participants in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

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Bybit x Santiment social sentiment report: Bitcoin reserve hopes leave Bitcoin holdings more concentrated

The Smart Copy Mode is a simple-to-use copy trading feature on Bybit that lets you reap profits from the crypto market even without prior trading experience.

Trading cryptocurrencies can be a lucrative way to earn from the ever-volatile crypto market. However, most people shy away from it due to the intense 

Thankfully, the world of trading now has helpful tools that have simplified crypto trading and made it easier even for beginners to make money from price movements.

First launched as part of a major upgrade in early 2023, Smart Copy Mode offers a simplified way to follow experienced traders known as Master Traders and automatically mirror their strategies. Today, it's one of the easiest and most intuitive ways for anyone, even beginning traders, to tap into the expertise of top-performing traders on Bybit and earn profits.

In this article, we’ll explore how Bybit Smart Copy Mode works and how you can safely make profits as a 

Smart Copy Mode is a simple-to-use copy trading feature on Bybit that lets you reap profits from the crypto market even without prior trading experience.

 Smart Copy Mode is part of the three major upgrades to the Bybit Copy Trading platform 

As of 2025, it remains one of the simplest and safest ways for users to realize returns from automatically mimicking successful Master Traders on the platform.

The Smart Copy Mode requires only three steps to follow a 

 and start earning. All you’ll need to do is enter an investment amount (minimum 100 USDT), select a Bybit account to transfer the funds from and click the 

The entire process is optimized for ease and risk control, making it ideal for anyone looking to trade without micromanaging their positions.

Here are some key features of the Bybit Smart Copy Mode that make it easier to trade while minimizing risks:

Rather than blindly copying a Master Trader’s full position size, Smart Copy Mode calculates a ratio based on both your balance and the Master Trader’s, helping you manage exposure proportionally.

Case in point: Let’s say a Master Trader has 10 BTC in their account but they enter a long position with only 1 BTC. In typical copy trading, a Follower who has 1 BTC in their account will automatically copy the trade with the whole 1 BTC, which exposes their entire portfolio.

However, with the Smart Copy Mode, a ratio calculated based on the available balances in the Follower’s and the Master Trader’s accounts will be exposed for copy trading. In this case, if the ratio is calculated to be 10%, the Follower’s copy trade amount will be 0.1 BTC instead of their full balance of 1 BTC. 

This proportional sizing is especially useful for beginners who may not want to expose their entire portfolio to a single trade.

Another amazing feature of the Smart Copy Mode is the Bybit CopyGuard which is designed to limit losses by adding an extra layer of protection for Followers. While most Master Traders strive to consistently implement successful trading strategies, it’s not uncommon to find some trades that will incur losses.

In such instances as a copy trader, you will incur losses similar to the Master Trader. That’s where the Bybit CopyGuard feature comes in handy.

With CopyGuard turned on, all of the Follower’s trades are optimized in the sense that the entry will always be at an optimal price not worse than that of the Master Trader. If an optimal price is not attained, the trade won’t be copied. However, note that at the point of trade execution, 

 may occur, causing small price discrepancies. However, CopyGuard filters out major price differences that could lead to instant losses. 

To give Followers even greater control over their risk exposure, Bybit now offers a Trailing Stop feature within Smart Copy Mode.

This tool automatically adjusts your exit point based on your account’s highest recorded equity. You simply set a retracement percentage (e.g., 20%), and if your equity drops by that percentage from its peak, all positions will be closed, locking in profits and limiting potential losses. 

Let’s say your account equity fluctuates as follows: 500, 450, 600, 900, 800, 1,000, 800. With a 20% retracement rate, the trailing exit equity adjusts accordingly: 400, 400, 480, 720, 720, 800, 800. When your actual equity drops to 800, the trailing stop triggers and your copy trading positions are automatically closed. 

, the final equity upon exit may differ slightly from the calculated exit equity.

The Trailing Stop feature is especially useful for volatile markets, helping you secure gains without manually monitoring every trade.

Together, Bybit’s copy by ratio, CopyGuard and Trailing Stop features work together to ensure that Followers have an extra layer of protection against losses when engaging in copy trading. 

Smart Copy Mode vs. Advanced Copy Mode: Which is better?

 allow you to choose between the Smart Copy Mode or the Advanced Copy Mode. While both provide an avenue for you to successfully copy a Master Trader’s strategy, there are several differences between the two that may make you opt for one over another. They are:

From the above comparison, it’s highly recommended to go for the Smart Copy Mode if you are a beginner to crypto or copy trading since it provides you with loss-limiting features before you learn your way around the field. For advanced traders, you can go for the Bybit Advanced Copy Mode or stick to the Smart Copy Mode.

Smart Copy Mode has made it easier to realize gains from copy trading.

 Regardless of your status as a beginning or advanced trader, you can have the assurance of a safe trading experience even with margin trading as all the risks are mitigated for you through the Smart Copy Mode.

Compared to the Advanced Copy Mode, the copy by ratio, CopyGuard 

 features within Smart Copy Mode help limit losses through reduced risk exposure. The enhanced automated settings on Smart Copy Mode are sure ways to successfully copy Master Traders without fear of wiping out your account. So, 

Beginner

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Bybit Smart Copy Mode: The way to secure copy trading profits

Invest like a VC with just $20. Common Wealth (WLTH) opens access to early-stage crypto projects through a transparent, community-driven platform.

The traditional venture capitalist (VC) investing model is often elitist and out of reach for many retail investors. While this is particularly the case in the world of traditional finance (TradFi), access to promising early-stage crypto assets is also frequently reserved for larger entities, namely institutional investors and 

. When we hear about a wildly successful crypto project and its token, we often find that its early backers are well-known investment funds or cashed-up VCs. These early investors are the ones who benefit the most from the token’s meteoric rise on the market.

 chain that aims to democratize the way VC investment works in the crypto industry. By using a community-driven approach to sourcing and investing in promising projects, the Common Wealth platform reduces barriers to entry to VC activities. Smaller-scale retail investors, both casual and experienced, are the primary beneficiaries of Common Wealth's unique approach to crypto investment.

Common Wealth has partnered with a network of notable crypto investors who refer high-potential projects to the platform, where these projects are carefully evaluated and qualified to be included in the investment products available to the user community. The entire evaluation process is also driven by community governance procedures, making it transparent and secure. Thanks to Common Wealth, investing in high-potential early-stage crypto opportunities is now open to anyone — even investors who want to start with as little as $20.

 (WLTH) is a decentralized platform that allows anyone to become a crypto VC by using a vetting-based, democratized, community-driven approach to selecting promising cryptocurrency investment opportunities.

The core idea behind the project is to tear down barriers to entry for crypto investment, particularly concerning early-stage promising ventures. Common Wealth has partnered with a group of prominent, savvy crypto investors (referred to as “Oracles”) who refer high-potential crypto investment opportunities to the platform. All the referrals are based on projects or assets that at least one so-called Oracle has personally invested in. As of May 2025, the platform works with ten Oracles, all of whom are notable investors with solid track records and standing in the crypto investment world.

The platform's governance community scrutinizes each referred project via “Oracle Ask Me Anything” (AMA) sessions, proposal workshops and analytics. Community investors then vote to decide on the projects' final eligibility. Any Common Wealth user can invest in qualified projects for as little as $20.

There are two main types of investors on the platform: casual and community members. The former typically invest smaller amounts, and pay with fiat currency using credit or debit cards, greatly simplifying access to the selected projects for users without an affinity for cryptocurrency transactions. Casual investors are normally those who adopt a hands-off approach to crypto investing and tend to start with smaller investment amounts.

Members of the second group, community members, invest larger amounts, or actively participate in the decision-making process for project selection. They’re the core of the governance community on Common Wealth. These investors use cryptocurrency to invest, paying with the 

The Common Wealth project was launched in February 2024 on the Base Layer 2 chain. In May 2025, it debuted its native token, WLTH.

All investment opportunities offered on Common Wealth are in the form of funds that provide exposure to promising projects and assets. For instance, the platform’s Priceless Fund invests in 14 high-potential 

 startup projects, while the Alpha Fund is based on early-stage projects in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), the 

 (RWAs), decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs) and gaming.

Unlike traditional investment funds, Common Wealth funds are completely permissionless and noncustodial, operating through blockchain smart contracts. As such, no central entity can influence fund management, thus ensuring transparency and discouraging vested interests.

Some funds are based on contributions from the wider user community, and are typically capped funds. There are also perpetual funds, which are funded by the investor community that participates in on-platform governance.

Bundles are Common Wealth funds based on a dynamic mix of assets satisfying certain criteria, e.g., a specific crypto niche. The platform has launched three such bundled products: 

Since the bundles are dynamic, the top five assets may switch according to market sentiment. All allocations within the bundles are equally split between their five assets. For instance, if you invest $100 in a bundle, each of the five assets in it will be allocated $20 of your investment.

The Common Wealth platform charges three types of fees:

When you invest in a Common Wealth fund, you’re issued a 

 (Slice NFT) that denotes your share of capital in the fund. Slice NFTs are freely tradable on the market, investors can quickly access liquidity by selling their Slices. Since these NFTs are fractionalized, you can sell a part of your Slice or the whole of it, per your preference.

Distributed Autonomous Operating System (DAOS)

The Common Wealth Distributed Autonomous Operating System (DAOS) is based on a set of 

 that automate the entire workflow of the platform’s governance processes. Project considerations, analytics related to candidate projects, vote management and other functions related to decentralized governance are handled by the DAOS.

 (DAO) consists of a set of rules and an on-chain community, the Common Wealth DAOS is an entire permissionless system of interoperable autonomous nodes that automates and powers all the platform’s governance elements and procedures.

What is the Common Wealth crypto token (WLTH)?

 asset issued on the Base Layer 2 chain. The token has a wide range of functions on the platform. While investments in Common Wealth are based on the USDC stablecoin, all other key functionalities are enabled via WLTH. These include:

WLTH is a capped asset with a maximum supply of 1 billion. As of mid-May 2025, its total supply stands at around 984 million. The chart below shows the token's supply allocation shares and vesting periods upon its launch in May 2024.

As of May 16, 2025, the WLTH token is trading at $0.003877, which is 98.2% lower than its ATH of $0.2148 on Jul 22, 2024 and 82.8% higher than its ATL of $0.002121 on Apr 18, 2025.

Long-term price forecasts for WLTH are mostly bullish.DigitalCoinPrice 

 of $0.0129 in 2027 and $0.0192 in 2030, whileCoinCodex 

 at around $0.0042 in 2027 but rise to $0.014 in 2030.

VC investment in financial markets remains an exclusive club that isn’t easily accessible to everyday retail investors. In most cases, this applies to the crypto market as well. Common Wealth's value to the broader crypto community lies in designing a system that makes investment in promising web3 initiatives accessible to everyone. The platform's novel model creates an opportunity to involve millions of individuals in the VC game. This could lead to significant growth in overall web3-based VC funding, and positively affect the entire crypto investment landscape over the coming years. Finding a future star in the crypto market with as little as $20 has never been easier — thanks to Common Wealth and the VC tools it provides!

Intermediate

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Common Wealth (WLTH): Invest like a VC — without being one

Candlestick

Trading

Understanding how inverted hammer candlestick patterns help you make better decisions in a trade. Learn how to critically identify such trends.

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Candlestick charts are an invaluable source of information for any trader. Despite the overwhelming 

 variants, it is still crucial to understand its functions. Supposed you’re analyzing the momentum or the market trend with an inverted hammer candlestick, here’s how you properly read and to apply it strategically. 

Generally, an inverted hammer is a type of candlestick pattern treated as a possible trend-reversal signal. As it is a well-known bullish reversal pattern, it mainly occurs at the end of a downtrend. The inverted hammer has a remarkable shape and clear-cut chart position make it recognizable among the others. 

The inverted hammer is a variation of the regular hammer pattern. Typically, it’s easy to identify a hammer pattern though there are exceptions. Of course, there are instances where the inverted hammer is mistaken as a shooting star pattern. They look almost identical with a small real body and a long upper shadow, but it marks the possible lowering turning point. That is why traders must be aware of everything about the peculiarities of patterns.

How Does an Inverted Hammer Candlestick Look Like?

The inverted hammer consists of three parts: a body and two shadows (wicks). A real body is short and looks like a rectangle lying on the longer side. The upper wick is extended and must be at least twice longer than the real body. However, the lower wick is tiny or doesn’t exist at all. This pattern bears such a name because its shape has some resemblance to an upturned hammer.

The hammer occurs when open, low, and close prices are approximately the same. The inverted hammer is generated in the downtrend or after it, and this is a mark of a highly probable trend reversal. It appears when bullish traders are ready to change the trend after bearish traders have knocked the prices downwards. When looking into the upper wick, it shows the bulls’ attempts to push the price up as high as possible. In contrast, the lower wick is caused by the bears, who strive to stand against the higher price.

The hammer represents a one-day bullish reversal pattern. Its real body can either be bearish (the open is higher than the close) or bullish (the close is higher than the open). But it doesn’t matter how it looks like. In any case, it will be viewed at the bottom of a downtrend, and the market line is expected to reverse. 

Any traders should be aware that no patterns can be utterly informative when being utilized or analyzed alone. Simple identification of the inverted hammer candle is not sufficient for successful trading, including (forex, stock, or even cryptocurrency).

 or the inverted hammer candle position, to consider when assessing a position. Supposed a trader is sure that he or she has identified the pattern correctly, it is necessary to start looking for other signals to confirm a possible reversal. However, this is a warning only but not a signal by itself to buy.

As the inverted hammer cannot be considered a decisive signal, it works well combined with some classic technical analysis patterns.

On the contrary, Double Bottom is one of the most robust reversal patterns. Its shape resembles the letter “W” as it consists of two consecutive lowest points that are nearly equal, with a moderate peak between them.

The inverted hammer at the second bottom on this chart confirms the Double Bottom, and both indicators signal the market moves up. A trader needs to wait for the market closure above the inverted hammer’s high to go long.

This is another technical analysis pattern that receives its name after the letter. Its shape looks like the letter V and appears when price momentum changes from an aggressive selling to an aggressive buying condition.

The inverted hammer typically forms before a trader enters the trade. So when the market closes above the high of the inverted hammer, it’s time to go long. Keep in mind that it is necessary to trade these both patterns with a support level, as it tends to bounce off the trends.

Of course, there are also other ways to use the inverted hammer in trading. For instance, traders can make a profit from the pullbacks in an uptrend. In this case, the inverted hammer indicates a possible entry on a pullback.

This pattern can be introduced into a profitable 

 if a trader considers some general considerations and scenarios. Since this is a bullish candlestick pattern, only the buying rules can be applied to it.

the possible price reversal points on the chart. These can be 

. It is tolerable to enter the trade after the confirmation candlestick formation. Such a strategy means there will be lower risks to enter a trade, but the purchase price will be higher, and the traders’ profits will be significantly lower.

. Traders set the stop-loss limits according to their trading views. But as a rule of thumb, they are 

 than the inverted hammer candle’s low price. It is crucial to follow the stop-loss strictly as trading the candlestick patterns can never be considered failing.

. Some important characters to be into consideration includes:

The Pros and Cons of an Inverted Hammer Candlestick

There is no ideal pattern that will work at any time in any situation. The inverted hammer is no exception. There are several obvious advantages of using this candlestick:

But these advantages are accompanied by disadvantages as well. The main disadvantage is common to all the strategies and scenarios. It may happen so that pattern will 

The inverted hammer candle may be a signal of a 

 but not a longer-term trend. Also, sometimes the additional confirmation is desirable, and this results in loss of profits.

 with its bearish variant, the shooting star mentioned above. They may miss the moment though the signal is evident.

Differences Between an Inverted Hammer and a Shooting Star

The form of these two candles is identical. A real short body is a combination of a long upper wick and a tiny lower wick (or no lower wick at all). Both can be regarded as a possible trend-reversal signal. But, the only distinction between them lies in the position they take in the chart.

The inverted hammer always appears as the 

 of the downtrend. On the contrary, the shooting star appears at the top of the trend and marks the possible downward price movement. In a nutshell, these two patterns are similar in shape. However, they provide traders with different signals.

Candlestick charts are an integral part of technical analysis. The chance for success depends much on how a trader is familiar with candle patterns and uses them for trading no matter what asset they prefer. A candlestick can not be a trade signal in isolation. Instead, it’s best to get an accurate and precise holistic point of view when interpreting the candlestick.

The confluence of factors makes the basis for market development, but not a single factor, and this fact cannot be ignored. The ‘Reversal trend’ is not meant to be taken literally. If the inverted hammer has appeared on the chart, it doesn’t mean that the price line would undoubtedly change and go in the opposite direction. It means the change of the market sentiment, so the traders should be readу to look for other symptoms of the nearest moves. An inverted hammer candlestick can certainly be a useful tool for those who can use it in combination with other signals.

Candlestick Patterns Professional Traders Use

 – A curated list of candlestick patterns most frequently used by traders

 – Learn the basics of candlestick patterns

 (Chart basics: trend, neckline, wedges)

How to Read the Inverted Hammer Candlestick Pattern?

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How to Read the Inverted Hammer Candlestick Pattern?

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