Leveraged Funds Boost Bitcoin Futures Shorts Ahead of Fed Meeting

Leveraged funds, a category that includes hedge funds and other money managers, increased their combined net short position in Bitcoin futures by 1,668 BTC ($77,770.00) in the week to Sept. 8.

The net short position widened to 39,876 BTC from 38,208 BTC a week earlier, according to CFTC futures-only data. This change was mainly driven by the addition of 888 short contracts and 616 long contracts at CME's five-BTC contract, which accounted for 81.5% of the combined weekly change.

The increased short exposure outside the CFTC's spreading category rose by 4,965 BTC, while long exposure grew by 3,296 BTC. This imbalance widened the combined short position, but the simultaneous growth could also indicate more complex positioning than a single bearish trade.