Bitcoin Funding Rate Falls to 6% as Open Interest Climbs to 687,000 BTC and $500M in Positions Liquidated

Bitcoin perpetual contract funding rates fell to 6%, one of the lowest levels in three months, as open interest denominated in BTC rose from 668,000 BTC to 687,000 BTC following brief price drops to $63,000 after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, CoinGlass data cited by Coindesk show. The negative funding rate reflects strong bearish sentiment, with traders paying a premium to maintain short positions. Over $500 million in crypto positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours, including more than $420 million in long liquidations, while Bitcoin attempts to reclaim $64,000 and market analysts cited by Coindesk see conditions that could lead to a short squeeze.