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Bitcoin options traders bet on $90K rebound as analysts flag early signs of a market base forming

The derivatives market is sending notable signals: Bitcoin options traders are betting on a potential rebound toward the $90,000 level, while many analysts believe the market may be forming a short-term bottom.

Options flow tilts bullish

On major derivatives exchanges such as Deribit and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, open interest is heavily concentrated in call options with $85K–$90K strike prices for upcoming expiries.

Key signals include:

A declining put/call ratio — indicating a bullish bias

Rising premiums for out-of-the-money (OTM) calls, reflecting demand for upside exposure

Options skew shifting in a bullish direction


This suggests that not only retail investors but also institutional desks are positioning for a potential bounce.

Early signs of a bottom forming?

Bitcoin has recently pulled back sharply due to macro pressures and profit-taking. However, technical analysts point to several factors suggesting a potential base formation:

Selling volume gradually weakening

Funding rates returning to neutral

Long-term holders continuing to accumulate

A higher-low structure beginning to form on the daily timeframe


In previous cycles, similar accumulation phases often preceded strong breakout moves.

Market sentiment: from fear to cautious optimism

Sentiment shifted from euphoria to defensiveness in recent weeks, but that reset may be laying the groundwork for a potential reversal. After excessive leverage has been flushed out, markets often become “cleaner” and better positioned for a new trend.

The fact that options traders are targeting $90K does not guarantee price will reach that level — but it reflects how sophisticated capital is currently pricing risk versus reward.

What to watch next

Price reaction around key support levels

ETF flows and spot demand

Implied volatility trends in the options market

On-chain data related to holding behavior


If a true base is forming, a move toward $90K could be just the beginning of a broader recovery. Conversely, if support breaks, call positions could rapidly lose value.

The market is at a pivotal moment — and the options market appears to have chosen its side.



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MARA swings to $1.7B Q4 loss on Bitcoin markdown — shares jump 15% after Starwood AI deal

Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA) reported a staggering $1.7 billion net loss in Q4, largely driven by a Bitcoin fair value markdown as BTC prices corrected during the quarter.

Key highlights:

• $1.5B+ unrealized loss tied to Bitcoin holdings
• Revenue pressure amid BTC volatility
• 50K+ BTC still held on balance sheet

Yet the market looked past the headline loss.

Shares surged 15% after MARA announced a strategic AI infrastructure joint venture with Starwood Capital Group.

The plan?
Leverage existing energy assets to develop large-scale AI & high-performance computing (HPC) data centers, targeting up to gigawatt-scale capacity.

📌 Translation:
MARA is evolving from a pure-play Bitcoin miner into a diversified digital infrastructure operator.

This move signals a broader industry trend — miners seeking stable, recurring revenue streams beyond crypto volatility by tapping into the AI data center boom.

Short-term accounting loss.
Long-term strategic repositioning.

Markets clearly preferred the latter.

#Bitcoin #AI #MARA #DigitalInfrastructure #CryptoStocks #HPC



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Benchmark backs Strategy’s pivot to STRC as the “primary engine” for Bitcoin accumulation

Benchmark analysts are doubling down on their bullish stance toward Strategy ($MSTR), applauding the company’s shift to positioning STRC (Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Preferred) as the primary engine for future Bitcoin accumulation.

This marks a structural evolution in capital formation.

Instead of relying primarily on common equity dilution or convertible debt, Strategy is leaning into a yield-bearing preferred instrument designed to continuously raise capital — with proceeds directed toward expanding its Bitcoin treasury.

Why this matters:

• STRC offers an attractive yield profile, broadening the investor base beyond pure BTC speculators.
• It creates a recurring capital funnel dedicated specifically to Bitcoin purchases.
• It separates income-oriented investors (preferred) from volatility-seeking equity holders.

In short, Strategy is engineering a financial flywheel: Yield product → Capital inflow → Bitcoin acquisition → Increased BTC per share → Reinforced long-term thesis.

Benchmark’s support suggests institutional confidence in this model — especially if Bitcoin appreciates over the long term. The strategy reframes Bitcoin not just as a treasury reserve asset, but as the foundation of a structured digital credit architecture.

Of course, risks remain: • BTC volatility
• Preferred dividend sustainability
• Market appetite for structured crypto-linked yield

But the pivot signals something bigger: Bitcoin accumulation is becoming institutionalized through capital markets innovation — not just balance sheet conviction.

Strategy isn’t just buying Bitcoin anymore.
It’s building a machine to keep buying it.

What’s your view — sustainable capital engine or leverage risk in disguise?

#Bitcoin #MSTR #CapitalMarkets #DigitalAssets #Investing



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$8.7 Billion Options Expiry: When Derivatives Move Bitcoin

“JUST IN: $8,700,000,000 worth of Bitcoin & Ethereum options expire today.” – reported by Watcher.Guru

Today, the market is facing $8.7 billion in options expiry. But if we focus solely on Bitcoin, this is more than just a big number — it’s a potential volatility event.

What Is Options Expiry and Why Does It Matter for Bitcoin?

Options give investors the right to bet on price movements — calls for upside, puts for downside — within a specific timeframe. When expiration day arrives:

Losing positions expire worthless.

In-the-money contracts may be exercised or closed.

Market makers must rebalance their hedges.


The result? Short-term volatility can spike.

The “Max Pain” Effect and the Price Battle

During large expiry events, traders often talk about “max pain” — the price level where the majority of options expire worthless. While price doesn’t always gravitate there, it can influence short-term dynamics, especially:

If Bitcoin is trading near key strike prices,

If open interest is heavily concentrated around certain levels.


In these cases, price action tends to become highly sensitive around those zones.

What Does This Mean for Bitcoin Investors?

1. Short term: Expect potential sharp moves up or down driven by liquidations and hedging flows.


2. Mid term: Once expiry pressure clears, the market may “reset” and establish a new directional bias.


3. Long term: Expiry events are noise compared to Bitcoin’s broader fundamentals — fixed supply, halving cycles, and growing institutional adoption.



Separating Noise from Signal

$8.7 billion is significant — no doubt. But Bitcoin is more than a short-term speculative asset; it’s a global, 24/7 monetary network.

Options expiry can create waves.
But long-term supply and demand dynamics determine the tide.

In Bitcoin markets, volatility is normal. The real question isn’t “How much will price swing today?” — it’s “What time horizon are you operating on?”



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Michael Saylor: “We’re in the Business of Not Selling Bitcoin” – When HODLing Becomes a Core Strategy

In a bold and unapologetic statement, Michael Saylor declared:

> 🟠 “We’re in the business of not selling Bitcoin.”
“We have a PhD in HODLing.”



This isn’t just a catchy quote. It’s a strategic doctrine.


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Not Traders — But Perpetual Accumulators

While much of the market is driven by short-term volatility, FOMO, and panic during corrections, Saylor and his company take a radically different approach:

No market timing

No short-term trading

No selling into volatility


Instead, Bitcoin is treated as a long-term strategic reserve asset — similar to how nations have held gold for decades.


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“PhD in HODLing” — Discipline at an Institutional Level

The phrase “PhD in HODLing” isn’t academic — it symbolizes:

Long-term conviction in Bitcoin

Discipline through volatility

Deep understanding of market cycles

The ability to withstand media pressure and price swings


HODLing as an individual is hard.
HODLing with billions of dollars on a corporate balance sheet is exponentially harder.


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From Defensive Strategy to Competitive Advantage

By committing to never selling, Bitcoin transforms from a speculative asset into:

A store of value

A hedge against inflation

An asset with absolute scarcity


This strategy also sends a powerful signal to the market:
Long-term conviction can become structural advantage.


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When Conviction Outlasts Volatility

Markets will rise, fall, panic, and rally.
But Saylor’s strategy remains consistent.

In a world where most participants focus on timing their exit, he has built an entire business model around never exiting.

And over the long run, that may be the ultimate differentiator.



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🇰🇷 NPS Increases Its Stake in Strategy ($MSTR) by 20%: Pension Capital Flowing Into Bitcoin Exposure?

In a notable move, the world’s third-largest pension fund — South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) — has increased its position in Strategy ($MSTR) by 20%, bringing its total holdings to 614,409 shares, valued at approximately $83.2 million.

What Does This Mean?

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) is widely recognized as a “Bitcoin treasury company” — a corporation that holds Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. By increasing its stake, NPS is effectively expanding its indirect exposure to Bitcoin through traditional equity markets.

This is more than just a routine portfolio adjustment. When an institution managing hundreds of billions of dollars in retirement assets increases its position, it sends several important signals:

🏦 Further institutional validation of digital assets

📈 Long-term confidence in Strategy’s Bitcoin accumulation strategy

🌏 Strategic capital allocation from major Asian institutions toward scarce assets


Why Pension Funds Prefer Strategy

Instead of buying Bitcoin directly, many institutions choose Strategy because:

1. Clear regulatory framework — easily integrated into traditional portfolios.


2. High liquidity on U.S. stock exchanges.


3. Leveraged Bitcoin exposure — the stock often moves more aggressively than BTC itself.



This structure allows large funds to gain Bitcoin beta without directly holding digital assets.

A Broader Market Signal

When a national pension giant like NPS — responsible for the long-term financial security of millions of South Koreans — increases its allocation to Strategy, the message is clear:

> Bitcoin is no longer just a speculative asset for retail investors.
It is steadily integrating into the global financial architecture.



Institutional capital tends to move slowly, but once allocated, it is rarely short-term. A 20% increase suggests strategic positioning rather than tactical trading.


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The trend continues to strengthen:
Bitcoin is being woven into traditional finance through corporate treasury vehicles like Strategy.

The key question is no longer “Will institutions participate?”
It is now “How much will they allocate?” 🚀



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🟠 NEW: Prevalon Energy and Anchorage Digital disclose allocations to Strategy’s STRC

Two major institutions — Prevalon Energy and Anchorage Digital — have confirmed adding STRC (Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock) from Strategy Inc. to their corporate treasury portfolios.

STRC is a perpetual preferred equity instrument with a variable rate structure, designed to:
• Generate recurring income
• Maintain liquidity
• Support Bitcoin-aligned treasury strategies

This move signals that institutions are expanding their Bitcoin exposure beyond direct holdings, leveraging structured financial instruments instead.

A notable trend is emerging:
Companies aren’t just holding BTC — they’re building a capital ecosystem around Bitcoin.

#Bitcoin #TreasuryManagement #InstitutionalAdoption #CapitalMarkets #STRC