May 26, 2025

Trading Desk Insights


Good news hit the wires out of the White House Sunday: President Trump agreed to push back the planned 50% tariff on European goods until July 9, giving European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen more time to hammer out a deal. While the threat of a full-blown U.S.–EU trade escalation isn’t off the table, the immediate pressure has eased.

BTC sold off hard over the weekend, sliding to 106,500 on the back of Trump’s tariff saber-rattling. But by Sunday afternoon, the market caught a relief bid, clawing back toward 110,000 as the temporary trade truce sparked a broad rebound in U.S. and European equity indices. We tracked heavy short flows hitting the tape Sunday morning — but by 6 p.m. ET, a sharp squeeze ripped through the market, wiping out a chunk of leveraged traders as open interest fell 5% despite CVD pushing higher.

Even with BTC notching fresh all-time highs, traders are noticeably more cautious this cycle. Back in January 2021, perpetual funding rates were screaming at ~180% when BTC hit highs. Today, with BTC near 110,000, funding rates hover closer to 20% on some venues — risk appetite is still alive, but the euphoria of the last bull run just isn’t there yet.

Meanwhile, MicroStrategy (MSTR) has sharply diverged from Bitcoin’s surge, with traders moving to capitalize by putting on put spreads, aiming to profit from MSTR’s weakening momentum despite steady institutional and sovereign fund accumulation of BTC. The growing disconnect between Bitcoin’s strength and MSTR’s lagging price action is becoming a key trade for sharp desks.

And on the whale-watching front: James Wynn, aka “moonpig,” the hyperliquid BTC trader, just closed a $1.2 billion Bitcoin position at a $17.5 million loss — only to flip and open a fresh $1 billion short. Not stopping there, moonpig has now taken a $1 million leveraged punt (10x) on PEPE, drawing the gaze of every major crypto desk tracking big-ticket flows.

The News Room

Former IMF Chief Economist Warns of Crypto's Threat to U.S. Dollar Dominance

Kenneth Rogoff, former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, has expressed concerns that the rise of cryptocurrencies poses a significant threat to the U.S. dollar's global dominance. He argues that as digital assets gain traction, they could undermine the dollar's role as the world's primary reserve currency, potentially leading to reduced U.S. influence in global financial markets.

Tether Plans U.S.-Specific Stablecoin Amid Regulatory Developments

Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, announced plans to launch a separate stablecoin tailored for the U.S. market. Despite expressing comfort with the proposed GENIUS Act—a legislative effort to regulate stablecoins—Tether's CEO stated that USDT will continue to focus on serving unbanked populations outside the U.S., while the new stablecoin will address domestic regulatory requirements.

Pakistan Allocates 2,000 MW for Bitcoin Mining and AI Data Centers

Pakistan's finance ministry has allocated 2,000 megawatts of electricity to support Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence data centers. This initiative, led by the government-backed Pakistan Crypto Council, aims to utilize the country's surplus electricity, create high-tech employment opportunities, and attract foreign investment, marking a significant step in Pakistan's digital infrastructure development.

Crypto Charts

ETF Flow

Disclaimer

This research is for informational use only. This is not investment advice. Other than disclosures relating to Secure Digital Markets this research is based on current public information that we consider reliable, but we do not represent it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied on as such. The information, opinions, estimates, and forecasts contained herein are as of the date hereof and are subject to change without prior notification. We seek to update our research as appropriate.

Any forecasts contained herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be relied upon as advice or interpreted as a recommendation. The price of crypto assets may rise or fall because of changes in the broad market or changes in a company's financial condition, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Past performance is not a guide to future performance, future returns are not guaranteed, and a loss of original capital may occur. Fluctuations in exchange rates could have adverse effects on the value or price of, or income derived from, certain investments. We and our affiliates, officers, directors, and employees, excluding equity and credit analysts, will from time to time have long or short positions in, act as principal in, and buy or sell, the securities or derivatives, if any, referred to in this research.

The information on which the analysis is based has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable such as, for example, the company’s financial statements filed with a regulator, company website, company white paper, pitchbook and any other sources. While Secure Digital Markets has obtained data, statistics, and information from sources it believes to be reliable, it does not perform an audit or seek independent verification of any of the data, statistics, and information it receives.

Unless otherwise provided in a separate agreement, Secure Digital Markets does not represent that the report contents meet all of the presentation and/or disclosure standards applicable in the jurisdiction the recipient is located. Secure Digital Markets and their officers, directors and employees shall not be responsible or liable for any trading decisions, damages or other losses resulting from, or related to, the information, data, analyses, or opinions within the report.

Crypto and/or digital currencies involve substantial risk, are speculative in nature and may not perform as expected. Many digital currency platforms are not subject to regulatory supervision, unlike regulated exchanges. Some platforms may commingle customer assets in shared accounts and provide inadequate custody, which may affect whether or how investors can withdraw their currency and/or subject them to money laundering. Digital currencies may be vulnerable to hacks and cyber fraud as well as significant volatility and price swings.

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