The price of Ether (ETH) rallied 18% between Feb. 13 and Feb. 16 but has since been range trading near the $1,700 level. Despite the recent price improvement, Ether derivatives metrics remain neutral-to-bullish ponder the investors the tighter regulatory environment and the potential impact of Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade.
Investors’ biggest concern right now is regulation, especially after the United Kingdom’s Financial Stability Board (FSB) recently stated that most stablecoins fail to meet international standards. The entity was created by the G20 and is affiliated with the Bank of International Settlements (BIS). FSB chair Klaas Knot stated that the appropriate regulation of crypto-assets should be “based on the principle of same activity, same risk, same regulation.”
In more positive news, there has been some improvement in China after the government is reportedly taking a softer approach to Hong Kong’s crypto hub aspirations. According to a Feb. 20 Bloomberg report, representatives from China have been frequenting Hong Kong crypto gatherings seeking to understand local crypto business operations.
A recent Binance report detailed the status of Ether staking and explored why the Shanghai upgrade may not result in the ETH sell pressure that some traders have predicted. Their rationale is based on liquid staking derivatives, which allow users to benefit from staked Ether while retaining the ability to sell the derivative token.
Let’s look at Ether derivatives data to understand if the $1,700 price rejection has impacted crypto investors’ sentiment.
ETH futures show higher demand for leverage longs
The two-month futures annualized premium should trade between 4% to 8% in healthy markets to cover costs and associated risks. However, when the contract trades at a discount versus regular spot markets, it shows a lack of confidence from traders and isa bearish indicator.
Ether 2-month futures annualized premium. Source: Laevitas.ch
The chart above shows that derivatives traders are no longer neutral-to-bearish after the Ether futures premium exceeded the 4% threshold. More importantly, it shows resilience even as…
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