Leveraged funds rebuilt 1,669 BTC of Bitcoin futures shorts before Fed

Leveraged funds, a CFTC category that includes hedge funds and other money managers, increased their combined net short across four regulated Bitcoin futures markets by 1,668 BTC in the week to Sept. 8.

The BTC-normalized position widened to 39,876 BTC net short from 38,208 BTC a week earlier, according to CFTC futures-only data. The calculation covers CME’s standard and micro Bitcoin futures and Coinbase Derivatives’ nano and nano perpetual-style contracts, using each market’s stated Bitcoin multiplier. The aggregate measures futures exposure alone, leaving the split between outright bets and hedges unresolved.

CME’s five-BTC contract supplied most of the shift. Leveraged funds added 888 short contracts and 616 long contracts there, widening the net short by 272 contracts, or 1,360 BTC. That accounted for 81.5% of the combined weekly change.

Long and short exposure outside the CFTC’s separate spreading category expanded on both sides. Across the four contracts, short exposure increased by 4,965 BTC while long exposure rose by 3,296 BTC. The imbalance widened the combined short, while the simultaneous growth also fits more complex positioning than a single bearish trade.

Why the motive remains unclear