Binance is at the center of renewed speculation as the specter of insolvency has once again cast a long shadow over the crypto sector. Over the past weeks, rumors have emerged that the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange is facing a liquidity crunch, and these rumors have spread across social media platforms, underscoring the fragility of […]
The post Binance bank run? Reserves show a $40B drop yet Bitcoin holdings rose to 655k BTC, so what changed? appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The Bitcoin price crash toward $60,000 has sparked debate across the crypto market, but recent analysis from BitQuant’s market experts explains why this move was inevitable and necessary. According to the firm, BTC’s sharp decline is not the result of widespread panic or manipulation but rather a natural development in its market structure. The firm explained that the recent local top, which exceeded $126,000, fell short of the expectations needed for healthy growth in the Bitcoin price. Early Top And Market Liquidation Disrupted Bitcoin Price Structure In a lengthy post on X, BitQuant reported that its local top for Bitcoin was initially set at $145,000, but this was never reached, leaving the cryptocurrency above $126,000 earlier in October 2025. According to the firm, this earlier-than-expected peak caused a structural failure that prevented the Bitcoin market from building a solid foundation for continued price gains. Related Reading: Popular Tesla Investor Shares The Major Problem After Bitcoin Fell Below $70,000 On October 10, during the devastating liquidation event, BitQuant noted that a technical issue at Binance had triggered a sudden drop in BTC, from approximately $120,000 to $105,000, adding volatility to its already fragile setup. While some may interpret this Binance issue as manipulation, the crypto company stressed that such events are common in markets, especially in Bitcoin markets. The firm also added that the liquidation and technical error were not significant enough to justify the entire downside that followed. BitQuant highlighted that the key point is that Bitcoin’s early price top disrupted its natural cycle of distribution and correction, which normally would have allowed its price to consolidate before attempting higher levels. Without a strong base, the market could not sustain strong bullish momentum, creating the bearish conditions that fueled BTC’s retracement toward the $60,000- $62,000 region. In a clean, structural scenario, the company stated that Bitcoin should have reached $145,000, distributed there, experienced a correction of about 25-30%, and then built a strong base before the next price expansion. New Structure Sets Stage For Future Expansion Although BitQuant has highlighted flaws in Bitcoin’s current market structure, the firm stated that the cryptocurrency has already established a new setup following its decline toward $60,000. The company noted that this updated price structure now supports a continuation toward BTC’s next expansion phase. Related Reading: Is Bitcoin A Better Investment Than Gold? Finance Expert Shares Deep Insights BitQuant further clarified that this is not the start of a new market cycle, but rather a continuation of the cycle that began around $16,000. The firm emphasized that the market’s performance and success in the coming months will depend on whether traders and investors view the next move as a new cycle or a progression of the current one. Although Bitcoin’s decline toward $60,000 shook the market, the cryptocurrency has since recovered slightly and is trading back above $67,000 at the time of writing. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Binance is pushing back against claims that it played a central role in the massive liquidation wave that swept through crypto markets on October 10, an event widely described as the largest in the industry’s history. In the aftermath of roughly $19 billion in wiped‑out positions, some market participants accused the exchange of manipulating prices for its own gain. Binance co‑CEO Richard Teng has now addressed those allegations directly, insisting the platform was not “the sole trigger” of the turmoil and that the selloff hit the entire digital asset ecosystem. Binance Co-CEO Breaks Down $19B Liquidation Event Speaking about the incident, Teng said the sharp downturn was not isolated to Binance. Both centralized and decentralized exchanges experienced comparable spikes in liquidations at the same time, he noted. According to him, intense selling pressure emerged across trading venues as volatility surged. Teng attributed the market shock to external forces rather than internal exchange activity. He pointed to a mix of macroeconomic and geopolitical developments, including new US tariffs on China and broader uncertainty in global financial markets. These factors, combined with highly leveraged positions across crypto derivatives markets, created what he described as a “classic leverage flush.” Related Reading: Is Bitcoin Already Pricing A US Recession? Analyst Sees Major Risk‑Reward Setup Teng drew comparisons to traditional markets, noting that US equities lost $1.5 trillion in value on the same day, with about $150 billion in liquidations occurring in equities alone. By contrast, the crypto market—significantly smaller in size—saw $19 billion in forced position closures, spread across all major exchanges. While acknowledging that many users suffered losses, Teng said Binance took steps to support affected customers, adding that other exchanges did not implement similar measures. He also stressed that there were no signs of abnormal mass withdrawals from Binance during the episode. According to the company, there were no indications of internal technical failures or systemic weaknesses. The price action, Teng argued, was driven by exogenous market forces rather than any exchange‑specific issue. SAFU Fund Hits $1 Billion In BTC Despite the volatility, Teng struck a cautiously optimistic tone about the broader trajectory of digital assets. He said institutional investors continue to allocate capital to the sector, describing their participation as evidence that “smart investors are putting money to work.” While retail demand has softened compared to last year, he said investment from institutions and corporations remains resilient. In his view, the long‑term development of the industry should be judged by its fundamentals rather than short‑term price swings. Related Reading: UNI Rallies 10% As BlackRock Brings Treasury‑Backed BUIDL Token To Uniswap Alongside its comments on the liquidation event, the exchange announced it has completed a previously outlined $1 billion Bitcoin purchase plan for its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). The exchange acquired 4,545 BTC worth approximately $304.58 million, bringing the reserve wallet’s total holdings to 15,000 BTC, currently valued at about $1.005 billion. Binance also stated that if the fund’s value falls below $800 million due to market declines or legal expenses, it will automatically replenish the balance back to $1 billion. At the time of writing, the exchange’s native token, BNB, is trading at $605. It has registered losses of 5% and 29% over the last seven and fourteen days, respectively. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
The crypto exchange finalized a 30-day plan to convert its stablecoin-backed user protection fund into 15,000 BTC, reinforcing bitcoin as its long-term reserve asset.
Binance has completed the $1 billion transition of its SAFU reserves into bitcoin, confirming the fund holds 15,000 BTC.
Every crypto exchange saw liquidations during the Oct. 10 liquidation event, Richard Teng told the crowd at CoinDesk's Consensus Hong Kong.
Institutions can now use Benji-issued tokenized money market funds as off-exchange collateral to trade on Binance using Ceffu’s custody layer.
The structure lets institutional traders keep assets in regulated custody while still deploying them in crypto markets.
The Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have rebounded from last week’s lows, providing optimism that the bottom may be in. This comes amid accumulation from whales while the crypto ETFs have seen notable inflows following last week’s outflows. Why The Bitcoin And Ethereum Prices Are Climbing Again The Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have pumped from their last week’s lows of around $60,000 and $1,900, respectively. BTC climbed to as high as $71,000, sparking bullish sentiments that the crash to $60,000 may have marked the bottom. These price surges have come on the back of significant accumulation from both retail and institutional investors. Related Reading: 5 Red Months In A Row: What’s Going On With Bitcoin And The Crypto Market? In an X post, on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain revealed two whales that are buying Bitcoin and Ethereum. These two newly created wallets are said to have withdrawn 3,500 BTC, worth $249 million, and 30,000 ETH, worth $63 million, from Binance, likely to hold these coins for the long term. Furthermore, Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have also rebounded due to renewed inflows into BTC and ETH ETFs. SoSoValue data shows that the BTC ETFs recorded a daily net inflow of $145 million yesterday, sustaining the momentum from last Friday, when they took in $371 million, after recording three consecutive days of outflows. Further data from SoSoValue shows that the Ethereum ETFs saw daily net inflows of $57 million yesterday, reversing the trend after seeing three consecutive daily net outflows. Tom Lee’s BitMine also continues to buy more ETH, which is a positive for the Ethereum price. Lookonchain revealed that BitMine bought 40,000 ETH, worth $83 million, yesterday. These purchases come just after the company announced it had purchased 40,613 ETH, valued at $82.85 million, last week. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Set To Break Out Against Bitcoin, But How High Can It Go? It is also worth highlighting external factors that have contributed to the recent rise in Bitcoin and Ethereum prices. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran appear to have cooled following talks last Friday, after initial reports that the talks were unlikely to proceed. Meanwhile, traders are beginning to price in the possibility of a rate cut in March after recent job reports came in weak. Bullish Case For BTC And ETH Crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe has made a bullish case for the Bitcoin and Ethereum prices. In an X post, he stated that he expects to see more momentum coming in for BTC, with a clear breakout above $71,500 in the coming days. The analyst added that the pattern is comparable to the COVID crash, and he thinks a rally to between $78,000 and $80,000 could occur in the coming weeks. For Ethereum, Michaël van de Poppe stated that this is a “tremendous” opportunity to be looking at ETH because there is a massive gap to the ‘fair price.’ He added that ETH’s current valuation, based on the MVRV ratio, is just as underpriced as during notable crashes such as the peak of the 2018 bear market and the April 2025 crash when Trump announced reciprocal tariffs. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin’s sharp selloff last week appears to have triggered one of the largest buy-the-dip episodes of this market cycle. Data tracking accumulator addresses showed a record surge of coins moving into wallets associated with long-term holding behavior, even as flows through exchange-traded fund (ETF) products stayed net negative. The timing mattered. The inflow landed right […]
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Ethereum (ETH) has declined noticeably over the past week, with price data from CoinMarketCap reporting a net 14% decline within this period. At the time of the most recent data, ETH is trading around $2,000, significantly lower than the past week’s level near $2,500. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Is Not Going To Keep Falling Forever, Analyst Says ETH Funding Rates Signal A Bullish Turn In a QuickTake post on the CryptoQuant platform, analyst Amr Taha draws attention to recent developments in ETH funding rates, a key sentiment indicator in perpetual futures. The funding rate shows the market sentiment, whether it’s optimistic/greedy (positive) or fearful/cautious (negative). Typically, when funding is highly positive or negative, it means that too many traders are on one side, positions are overleveraged, and then the market becomes unstable. At that point, even a small price move in the opposite direction can trigger liquidations, causing sharp and fast price moves. Although Ethereum’s funding rate was deeply negative over the week, analyst Amr Taha noted there has been a flip as ETH derivatives data shows a clear shift toward bullish positioning. Notably, Funding rates have turned strongly positive on BitMEX (Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange), reaching 0.049%, their highest level since October and well above the previous peak near 0.03. This signals aggressive leverage on the long side. Related Reading: XRP Price Has Just Reached Most Oversold Level In History And This Analyst Is Predicting A Bounce Extreme Optimism In ETH Could Spark Sharp Moves At the same time, ETH funding on Binance has moved from deeply negative levels at -0.025% on February 5 back towards neutral, indicating that short positions are being replaced by new long exposure. In essence, the market has moved from fear to optimism. While this shift reflects a rise in bullish sentiments, history shows that periods of extreme positive funding driven by leverage often increase the risk of liquidations and sharp corrective moves, rather than supporting sustained upside. In short, when everyone is bullish at the same time, the market becomes easier to knock over. In all, Ethereum Derivatives traders have become aggressively bullish, and while that can push price higher in the short term, history shows it often increases the risk of sudden corrective moves rather than a sustained uptrend. At the time of writing, Ethereum trades at $2,089 after a 14.9% decline in the past seven days. Meanwhile, the daily trading volume is down by 32.39% and valued at $37.39 billion. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Binance Coin (BNB) is facing a critical test as sustained selling pressure pushes the token toward a level many analysts now describe as its final short-term support. Since January 29, BNB has declined about 14.6%, underperforming Bitcoin over the same period and reflecting a broader shift in risk appetite across crypto markets. Related Reading: Standard Chartered Cuts 2026 Solana Prediction To $250, Eyes $2,000 By 2030 While the price has so far held above the $730 area, market participants remain divided on whether this level can continue to absorb downside pressure. The recent pullback has unfolded against a mixed backdrop. On higher timeframes, BNB is still trading above long-term swing levels, which has kept some recovery hopes alive. However, daily charts show a clear bearish structure after the price fell below former support near $820, suggesting that sellers remain in control for now. BNB's price trends to the downside on the daily chart. Source: BNBUSD on Tradingview $730 Support Under Close Watch As Structure Turns Bearish The $730 zone has acted as a reliable support since mid-2024 and was again defended during the latest sell-off. Analysts note that this level represents a convergence of historical demand and prior consolidation, making it technically significant. Despite the bounce, momentum indicators such as the Awesome Oscillator remain in negative territory, pointing to continued bearish pressure rather than a confirmed reversal. Volume data adds nuance to the picture. While recent selling pushed on-balance volume lower, the broader trend over the past month has been upward, hinting that not all participants are exiting positions aggressively. Even so, the loss of the December lows has shifted the daily market structure firmly to the downside. Below $730, the next notable support sits near $687. A decisive break of that area could expose BNB to a deeper retracement, potentially extending losses toward the mid-$600 range. BNB’s Supply Zones And Macro Factors Weigh On Recovery Attempts Any upside attempts are likely to face resistance between $780 and $840, where multiple supply zones are stacked. The former $820 support has now flipped into resistance, and analysts suggest that rallies into this range could attract fresh selling unless reclaimed decisively. Macro conditions are also influencing sentiment. Weakness in tech stocks, renewed expectations of higher-for-longer interest rates following recent Federal Reserve developments, and ongoing negative headlines linked to Binance have combined to limit risk appetite. Some short-term traders point to clean order blocks and harmonic patterns that could support a bounce if $730 continues to hold. However, most analysts agree that any recovery would likely require improved broader market conditions and a sustained move back above key resistance levels. Related Reading: Bitcoin Drop Below $80,000 May Not Be The Final Capitulation Event, Checkonchain Says For now, $730 remains the line in the sand. Whether it holds may determine if BNB stabilizes or if the current downtrend has further to run. Cover image from ChatGPT, BNBUSD chart on Tradingview
A social media user claimed that Binance sent a cease-and-desist order over his post alleging the exchange's insolvency.
Changpeng Zhao has debunked four narratives that have been circulating on social media within the crypto community in recent days, ranging from a fabricated Polymarket screenshot to claims about Binance “dumping” Bitcoin. He argues that traders were stitching together on-chain observations and clipped quotes into conclusions that weren’t supported by the underlying facts. Former Binance CEO Debunks “FUD” The first rumor centered on an image framed as a Polymarket market showing odds, circulated by several accounts, as high as “79%” that someone would throw something at Zhao’s face at a crypto event in 2026, supposedly backed by more than $7 million in volume. Zhao said the market was fictional, writing: “That event does NOT exist on Polymarket. There is no $7m volume. If it did, I would be the first one to throw a cake in my own face.” Polymarket’s own “CZ predictions & odds” landing page lists various markets historically tied to Zhao, such as questions about his role at Binance, legal outcomes, and other “mention markets”, but no market matching the viral “throw something” prompt appeared there. Related Reading: Binance Founder CZ Addresses Trump‑Related Controversy In Latest Statement A second claim: “CZ cancelled the supercycle” appears to have grown out of Zhao’s comments in a Jan. 30 AMA recap posted on Binance Square, where he described himself as “a bit less confident” about a Bitcoin supercycle than before, while still pointing to longer-term upside. Zhao rejected the idea that a change in his confidence equated to calling off a market regime shift. “Oh, if I had that power, I wouldn’t be on CT with you a lot. I would be snapping my fingers all day long.” The third rumor alleged Binance sold $1 billion of Bitcoin over the past weekend when the market saw a severe drawdown. Zhao’s rebuttal drew a sharp line between user flow and corporate activity: he said it was “Binance users” selling on the venue, not Binance itself as principal. Related Reading: Binance Forms New Company In Greece, Moves Forward With MiCA Licensing The distinction matters because centralized-exchange trading is largely internal ledger movement; a burst of selling pressure can occur without a corresponding on-chain “Binance sold” footprint. Zhao added that Binance’s wallet balances “only change when users withdrawal,” arguing that observers were treating exchange-labeled addresses like a live P&L feed. The fourth thread questioned Binance’s execution of its plan to convert the roughly $1 billion SAFU fund from stablecoins into Bitcoin over 30 days, after some users said they couldn’t “see” buying or on-chain movement. Binance has said it intends to complete the conversion within 30 days and to top the fund back up to $1 billion if market moves push it below $800 million. Zhao countered: “I am guessing their original plan was to buy it over 30 days and move the funds to the address near the end of the 30 days, or once a week or something. You won’t see them buying using a DEX. Binance is a CEX with the best liquidity in the world.” Moreover, CZ dispelled speculations that the decision could have a significant impact on the Bitcoin price. “Also, you think $1b over 30 days is going to make a difference for BTC’s $1.7 trillion market cap? That’s 1/1700/30 = … anyway, you do the math. It’s a gesture. Will it help with confidence, your call,” he wrote. At press time, BNB traded at $767.23. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
The exchange co-founder's post comes amid renewed scrutiny over Binance’s alleged role in October’s crypto flash crash.
The $100 million transfer follows the exchange's Jan. 30 announcement that it would shift the SAFU fund toward bitcoin over a 30-day period.
Months after the Oct. 10 liquidation cascade, market depth has yet to recover, and traders are divided over Binance's role as bitcoin continues to crash.
Bitcoin has once again fallen below a critical support zone, raising questions about whether the market is gearing up for a deeper sell-off. With selling pressure still intact, traders are now watching key levels closely to see if a final flush toward lower support is imminent. Price Faces Another Rejection MakroVision Research shared on X that Bitcoin has once again met strong rejection, resulting in a decisive break below several key support levels. Price has now slipped back into the range of the previous low and continues to trade beneath the critical green resistance zone between $85,200 and $86,200, highlighting that bearish pressure remains in control for now. Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply In Loss Begins To Rise, Raising Early Bear Market Concerns On the very short-term timeframe, there are early signs of an attempted rebound, but without a timely and sustainable reclaim of the $85,200–$86,200 zone, this move is best viewed as a technical counter-bounce rather than the start of a meaningful trend reversal. As long as the price remains capped below this area, the broader short-term downtrend remains intact. From a tactical perspective, the $85,200–$86,200 region has become the key battlefield. A clean reclaim and hold above this zone would be the first clear indication that selling pressure is beginning to fade, potentially allowing for price stabilization and a relief rally. If this reclaim attempt fails, the risk of continued downside acceleration increases. In that case, focus would turn to the $72,300–$75,300 range, a technically prominent support zone with historical significance. This zone may ultimately serve as a potential support and reversal region should the market experience another phase of capitulation. CME Gap Opens: What To Expect From Bitcoin This Weekend Crypto analyst MartyParty, in a recent Bitcoin Wyckoff Accumulation update, highlighted that a CME gap is opening, which is expected to be filled by Sunday evening. This sets the stage for potential short-term volatility, with traders closely watching key technical levels and liquidation activity. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Backs Off Resistance — Breakdown Or Brief Pause? Several scenarios are possible over the coming days. One possibility is the continued liquidation of remaining leveraged longs, with the lowest 25x Binance liquidation currently around $79,350, potentially completing the classic Wyckoff Spring pattern. Another scenario is a retest of secondary support at $81,800, which could act as a temporary floor for Bitcoin’s price action. If support at $81,800 holds, Bitcoin may trade sideways or attempt to push toward the primary support level, which has now turned into resistance at $84,800. The most probable scenario suggests a move up through $84,500 toward $86,463, followed by a retest of $84,500 on Sunday night as the CME gap is filled, completing the near-term Wyckoff accumulation setup. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Binance acquired Gopax in 2023 amid its liquidity crisis, opening a pathway for a re-entry into the South Korean market.
Binance announced that it will turn its $1 billion SAFU fund into bitcoin over the next 30 days to support the industry through uncertainty.
Binance will convert the stablecoin holdings in its $1 billion Secure Asset Fund for Users to bitcoin over the next 30 days, with plans for regular audits.
The Hyperliquid price is seeing renewed bullish momentum, recording double gains over the last week and bucking the broader crypto market downtrend. This comes thanks to bullish fundamentals in the token’s ecosystem, including a rise in open interest on the decentralized exchange (DEX). Why The Hyperliquid Price Is Rising The Hyperliquid price is up over 58% in the last seven days, outpacing the broader crypto market as Bitcoin trades just below the psychological $90,000 level. This price surge has come on the back of a rise in Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 open interest. The DEX announced in an X post that open interest reached an all-time high of $790 million, driven recently by a surge in commodities trading. Related Reading: XRP, HBAR, And Litecoin: Pundit Highlights Coins To Watch In 2026 The exchange added that HIP-3’s open interest has been hitting new all-time highs each week, after being just $260 million a month ago. HIP-3 enables anyone to launch a custom perpetual market for crypto, commodities such as gold and silver, and other assets such as stocks. Thanks to this upgrade, the DEX is seeing increased trading activity, which has led to a surge in the Hyperliquid price. Notably, the Hyperliquid price has benefited from the precious metals boom, with the silver perpetuals market on the DEX seeing massive trading activity. CoinGecko data shows that the Silver perpetuals market is the third-largest traded in the last 24 hours, behind Bitcoin and Ethereum, with a trading volume of just over $1 billion. In an X post, Hyperliquid’s co-founder Jeff Yan noted that the DEX has achieved an important milestone of becoming the most liquid venue for crypto price discovery in the world. This came as he highlighted the order books for BTC perps on Binance and his DEX. He added that Hyperliquid has also grown to become the most liquid venue for perps on traditional-finance (TradFi) assets. Little Selling Pressure And Huge Buying Pressure For HYPE In an X post, Hyperliquid stakeholder Henrik noted that the Hyperliquid price is also rising as major selling pressure is gone. On the other hand, HYPE is seeing significant demand, including from digital asset treasuring companies such as Hyperliquid Strategies. He further highlighted the imminent Kraken HYPE listing, which is also bullish for the token. Meanwhile, Henrik stated that Hyperliquid dominates all trading metrics, including volume and open interest. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Solana Prices Are Still Crashing Hard The increase in the DEX’s trading activity is also significant and bullish for the Hyperliquid price, as the majority of fees earned on the protocol are directed to the Assistance Fund, which is used to buy back HYPE tokens on the open market. DeFiLlama data shows that the DEX is currently among the top five protocols by fees generated over the last 24 hours. At the time of writing, the Hyperliquid price is at around $34, up over 27% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Medium, chart from Tradingview.com
For most of the week, the Ethereum price has remained in a range-bound spell, putting in no significant movement outside of the $3,000 and $2,880 price boundaries. Amid rising speculations, an on-chain analysis has recently been put out, which provides an answer to the question. Related Reading: Bitcoin Metric Suggests Miners Are In Recovery Mode — Price To Follow? Open Interest Across Exchanges Falls To $17 Billion In their latest QuickTake post on CryptoQuant, analytics platform Arab Chain reveals that there has been a fall in active Ethereum derivatives contracts across major exchanges, as indicated by data from the Ethereum: Open Interest-All Exchanges, All Symbol metric. Typically, rising Open Interest (OI) across exchanges indicates that more traders are entering leveraged positions. On the other hand, falling OI reflects more exits of leveraged positions, and by extension, reduced aversion to risk. In the Quicktake post, Arab Chain highlights that open interest across exchanges has dipped to about $16.9 billion, marking the lowest level reached since mid-December last year. This, in turn, reflects an overall reduction in risk appetite across the Ethereum derivatives market. Because there is less speculative activity, there are also reduced risks of liquidations. Hence, the Ethereum price stands a higher chance of consolidating. Related Reading: Analyst Says You’re Not Bullish Enough On Ethereum – What Does He Mean? What’s Happening On Binance? While exchanges in general are recording significant pull-outs from the derivatives market, Binance has shown an outlier performance. Arab Chain highlights that the world’s largest exchange by trading volume has instead recorded about $7.5 billion in Open Interest. Interestingly, this reading slightly exceeds the December average range of $6.8–$7.4 billion. The divergence between the Open Interest values across all exchanges and that of Binance suggests that, while market participants are reducing their risk exposure, there is still liquidity in the derivatives market. Rather than a blatant exit, it has been repositioned toward the deeper and more liquid venue. Arab Chain also explains that this behavior indicates a change in market operations from a higher-risk trading environment to one more price and risk efficient. In conclusion, the large traders are yet to make their exits but are merely reducing their exposure, while holding high-quality positions on Binance. In addition, Ethereum’s proximity to the $3,000 price — especially as OI declines — shows that the market has been absorbing the deleveraging events while showing little selling pressure. Ultimately, Binance’s OI retaining levels above December’s support the idea that the market still has strong derivatives backing. Hence, the broader picture remains bullish. As of this writing, Ethereum trades at $2,958, reflecting a 0.33% growth since the past day, according to CoinMarketCap data. Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview.com
Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has pushed back against growing scrutiny surrounding his relationship with President Donald Trump, saying his ties to the president and his family have been widely misunderstood following Trump’s decision to grant him a pardon last year. CZ Rejects Allegations Of Binance’s Political Links Attention on Zhao intensified after President Trump issued a pardon in October 2025, a move that prompted renewed criticism from Democratic lawmakers and fueled questions about Binance’s alleged political and business connections. Addressing the controversy in a recent interview with CNBC, Zhao said claims of a business relationship with the Trump family are inaccurate. “There’s no business relationship whatsoever,” Zhao stated. The former executive added that the narrative surrounding the pardon and Binance’s alleged ties to Trump had been “misconstrued.” Related Reading: Binance Forms New Company In Greece, Moves Forward With MiCA Licensing Much of the scrutiny centers on Binance’s connection to the Trump-linked decentralized finance (DeFi) venture World Liberty Financial (WLFI). That connection traces back to a $2 billion investment made in March 2025 by MGX, a state‑owned firm based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. MGX invested in Binance using USD1, a stablecoin created by World Liberty Financial. Zhao emphasized that the payment method was chosen by the investor, not Binance. “MGX is the investor. They choose USD1,” he said. “My request to them was they pay us in crypto. I don’t want to deal with banks, really.” According to Zhao, the use of the venture’s USD1 stablecoin has been wrongly interpreted as evidence of a deeper relationship. “Many people misconstrued that,” he added. WLFI Push Back On Political Influence Claims In a statement, WLFI spokesperson David Wachsman said the company played no role in the pardon process. “As we have stated many times, WLFI is not a political organization and had zero role in the pardon process,” Wachsman said. “To imply otherwise is dangerous and false.” Trump himself downplayed any personal connection in a November interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes. “I have no idea who he is,” the president said of Zhao. Trump added that he had been told Zhao was “a victim, just like I was and just like many other people, of a vicious, horrible group of people in the Biden administration.” Additional attention has focused on Binance’s lobbying efforts in Washington. NBC News reported during the week of the pardon that Binance had hired Checkmate Government Relations, a lobbying firm led by Charles McDowell, who is a friend of Donald Trump Jr. Related Reading: Expert Analyzes XRP, Ethereum, And Solana: Predictions For The Next Altcoin Season According to disclosures, the firm was paid $450,000 to lobby the White House and the Treasury Department on matters including “executive relief” and digital asset‑related financial services policy. Zhao denied that any lobbying effort was connected to his pardon. “There is a lot of media saying that there is some deal in place to get me the pardon,” he told CNBC in Davos. “As far as I know, that does not exist at all.” Binance’s former CEO also said he has never spoken directly with President Trump. “The closest that I got to him was today when he was doing the Board of Peace session,” Zhao said. “I was in the audience, about 30 to 40 feet away from him.” At the time of writing, Binance Coin (BNB) was trading at $893, having recorded a 4% drop over the previous week. However, it is one of the few cryptocurrencies to have retained gains year-to-date, with an increase of 30% in that time. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Ethereum is currently trading under pressure after failing to push above the $3,000 level again over the past 24 hours, a move that is reflecting trader sentiment across the derivatives markets. ETH is currently trading at $2,925, down 2.7% on the day, after moving within a 24-hour range capped at $3,012.99 and finding lows around $2,909.60, according to price data from CoinGecko. As price action weakens, a notable change has been developing, with on-chain data showing funding rates drifting toward negative territory and derivative positioning beginning to tilt more defensively. Funding Rates Slide As Shorts Gain Ground Ethereum’s failure to hold above $3,000 is an important psychological break for traders, especially after several failed attempts to hold above that level in January. Price action over the past week shows sellers maintaining control after ETH rejected around $3,360 on January 18, followed by a steady push lower toward the high-$2,900s. Related Reading: The Ethereum MACD Crossover That Could Lead To A Massive Bull Wave Although the pullback has so far been orderly above $2,900, this decline has come alongside fading momentum across the derivatives market. One of the clearest signals for this can be seen in Ethereum’s OI-weighted funding rate, which has been steadily compressing and is now edging toward negative levels. At the time of writing, Ethereum’s OI-weighted is at 0.0008%, close to breaking into negative territory and far below readings around 0.009%, which it registered earlier in the month. Funding rates turning negative typically indicate that short positions are paying longs, meaning stronger demand for downside exposure. Funding spikes that previously accompanied the price rebound in early January have faded, and the overall trend suggests bearish positioning is slowly gaining the upper hand. Open Interest, Liquidations, And What’s Next Although Ethereum’s price action fell below $3,000, derivatives traders have stayed in the market, keeping total open interest at high levels. Data from CoinGlass shows aggregate Ethereum open interest increasing by 0.68% in the past 24 hours, which shows that many traders are not exiting Ethereum entirely. At the time of writing, the total open interest is sitting at about 13.36 million ETH, equivalent to roughly $39.19 billion. Related Reading: Ethereum’s 4-Hour Chart Says A Big Dump Is Coming, Here’s The Target Looking across major exchanges, Binance has the largest share of ETH open interest, accounting for about $8.95 billion, but it is down by 0.8% in the past 24 hours. CME follows with approximately $5.73 billion in open interest, up by 3.72% in the past 24 hours. Gate comes next at around $4.01 billion, while MEXC comes in close at $3.51 billion worth of ETH open interest. Over the past 24 hours, Ethereum liquidations totaled $64.34 million, with long positions ($52.52 million) accounting for the majority of losses. A hold above $2,900 could allow Ethereum’s funding rates to normalize and open the door for another rebound attempt to $3,000. However, a continued fall in funding rates into negative territory could see bearish control pushing Ethereum below $2,900. Featured image from Pexels, chart from Tradingview.com
The exchange shut down its earlier effort under regulatory pressure, but it's now back to exploring offering tokenized equities on its platform.
In an interview with CNBC, Binance’s CZ spoke of bitcoin’s four year cycles and the potential for a BTC all-time high this year due to a greater acceptance of crypto worldwide.