Open Interest (OI) in Bitcoin on exchanges has shown a noticeable decline in recent days, coinciding with a drop in its price.

While Bitcoin’s price dropped mildly by 2.2% within the past 24 hours, total open interest on exchanges dropped much more by 7.5%. A recent report from the intelligence platform Santiment confirmed this record.

This significant decline in OI suggests leveraged traders may be scaling back on their positions, potentially indicating a shift in market sentiment.

Bitcoin’s Open Interest Decline

Going deeper, Santiment’s report highlights that Bitcoin’s total open interest currently stands at $11.487 billion. Following a price drop from the $64,000 range to approximately $62,885, margin, options, and futures positions fell by 7.5% over 24 hours.

This trend points to a reduction in leveraged positions, signaling traders are exiting the market, perhaps due to heightened uncertainty surrounding Bitcoin’s price trajectory.

On the other hand, Ethereum and Solana have seen much smaller changes in their open interest. Ethereum’s total open interest is $5.283 billion, with a modest 2.3% decline in positions. Solana’s open interest totals $2.022 billion, reflecting only a 2.0% drop.

A Shift in Trader Focus?

According to Santiment, traders appear to be shifting their focus towards altcoins such as Ethereum and Solana. After recovering strongly from the August 5 crash, these assets are increasingly viewed as potential opportunities by market participants.

Notably, the mild declines in open interest for ETH and SOL suggest that they are presently experiencing less sensitivity to Bitcoin’s price fluctuations.

Per the market intelligence platform, the recent drop in Bitcoin open interest could also signal a capital rotation from Bitcoin into altcoins. Large traders may be diversifying their positions, seeking higher returns from alternative assets in response to shifting market dynamics.

Rising Short-Term Selling Pressure

Further data from CryptoQuant reveals a surge in activity among short-term holders, with 33,155 Bitcoins being transferred between the 1-week and 1-month age bands.

This uptick in spent outputs signals potential selling pressure, which often leads to downward pressure on Bitcoin’s price. The data shows that as the price rises, these short-term holders are exiting their positions.

CryptoQuant notes that if activity within these age bands continues to rise, heightened caution is recommended, as it could intensify further.

Caution Among Holders

Further data from IntoTheBlock indicates a decrease in inflows from large holders, which typically suggests caution. Over the past 30 days, inflows have surged by 1,385%, yet in the past seven days, inflows have dropped by 38.27%.

BTC Large Holders Inflow IntoTheBlock

This decline hints that large holders are becoming more cautious and may be waiting for clearer market signals before making significant investments.