Share this article

Has Bitcoin Peaked? BlackRock BTC Spot ETF Traders Lose Appetite for Upside

Bitcoin has been trading sideways after reaching record highs above $110,000 last week.

Updated May 29, 2025, 2:11 p.m. Published May 29, 2025, 11:11 a.m.
IBIT activity hints at temporary BTC peak. (Kanenori/Pixabay)
IBIT activity hints at temporary BTC peak. (Kanenori/Pixabay)

What to know:

  • Bitcoin has been trading sideways after reaching record highs above $110,000 last week.
  • Market sentiment is shifting as the put-call skew for BlackRock's bitcoin ETF options has bounced to zero, indicating reduced bullish bets.
  • Traders on Deribit are showing similar caution, with short-term call options now trading at par with puts.

Bitcoin has mostly traded sideways since printing record highs above $110,000 last week.

The loss of upward momentum is now accompanied by signs waning bullish sentiment among market participants trading options tied to BlackRock's spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

That's evident from the one-year put-call skew, which reflects how the market prices in volatility risk for put options, offering downside protection relative to calls, representing bullish bets. Negative values represent a bullish bias while positive values suggest fears of downside.

IBIT's one-year skew has bounced to nearly zero from the four-month low of minus 3.8 two weeks ago, according to data source Market Chameleon. In other words, IBIT options traders are no longer chasing upside via options.

Perhaps they are expecting a pullback. Similar mood is evident in Deribit-listed options where the short-term call skew has weakened, meaning calls expiring in the next two weeks are trading at par with puts, according to data source Amberdata.

Read more: Bitcoin's $95K-$105K Range in Focus as $10B BTC Options Expiry Looms

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

Japan’s Higher Rates Puts Bitcoin in the Crosshairs of a Yen Carry Unwind

Aerial view of Tokyo (Jaison Lin/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)

A stronger yen typically coincides with de-risking across macro portfolios, and that dynamic could tighten liquidity conditions that recently helped bitcoin rebound from November’s lows.

What to know:

  • The Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates to 0.75% at its December meeting, the highest since 1995, affecting global markets including cryptocurrencies.
  • A stronger yen could lead to de-risking in macro portfolios, impacting liquidity conditions that have supported bitcoin's recent recovery.
  • Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated a high probability of a rate hike, with officials prepared for further tightening if their economic outlook supports it.