For the first time in history, the gross figure of the open Ethereum’s futures contract eclipsed $1 billion, another sign of surging open interest in the second-largest cryptocurrency. The total value of all open bets in the value of Ethereum hit a new all-time high, as per data by blockchain analytics firm, Skew.
The new record comes as ETH ‘s price broke past the $300 price level and the imminent launch of Ethereum 2.0, which has boosted long-term investor trust in the potential of cryptocurrency. Future contracts refer to the consent of two participants to buy or sell a particular asset at a set price at a predetermined time in the future.
The buyers of the Ethereum futures contract anticipate the value of ETH will be different from the value of the contract before it is deployed, allowing for immediate proceeds upon completion of the commitment. Notably, the entities issuing futures contracts earn a fee referred to as premium, with the anticipation that the fee will be higher than the loss
Total Ethereum futures open interest surge by 30 percent
Total open interest in Ethereum futures surged by nearly 30 percent from June 20, from below $800 million to about $1.2 billion during press-time. Open interest is a very significant metric because it shows the fresh amount both issuers and traders have gambled in futures contracts before the expiry of the contract in the future.
Moreover, major crypto exchange OKEx is currently leading the pack with the most extensive Ethereum futures open interest of over $290 million. Crypto exchanges Huobi and BitMEX follow behind with $220 and $216 total open interest, respectively. In particular, Huobi recently revealed its plan to roll out Ethereum options trading later during Q3.
Ethereum leading the new market charge
Ethereum futures were surging earlier in the year, reaching almost $900 million before the coronavirus pandemic fears increased, and the further collapse of the U.S stocks market brought down the cryptocurrency market with it. The open interest in Ethereum futures crashed to below $400 by mid-March. However, the gross value of Ethereum futures open interest has been on a determined surge upwards since then.
The current momentum has been driven by the recent increase in the price of Ethereum. Nevertheless, the surging Eher future has more work to do if they match the king of the cryptocurrency futures contract, Bitcoin. Back on July 21, the open interest in bitcoin futures eclipsed the $4 billion mark. However, BTC futures contracts have raised at half the rate seen by Ethereum futures since the price began surging.