Decentral Block Post

Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoins are tracking the United States equities markets higher on Aug. 3 as traders buy the dip.

Smaller investors seem to be making the most of the bear market in Bitcoin as the number of wholecoiners has soared by 40,000 since the sharp fall in June. In comparison, wallet addresses with more than 1,000 Bitcoin have declined by 113 since May.

Some analysts believe that Bitcoin has not yet formed a macro bottom, however. Trading firm QCP Capital expects Bitcoin to gradually rise for most of the third quarter amid high volatility.

They believe Bitcoin’s rally could hit a roof around $28,700. For the long-term, the firm did not rule out a final capitulation in Bitcoin to around $10,000, which may mark a bottom for the bear market.

Nevertheless, Bitcoin miners seem to be in an upbeat mode as they increased their Bitcoin holdings in July following the capitulation in June. According to data from on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant, Bitcoin held by the miners hit the highest levels since.

Fifty-one days have passed since Bitcoin (BTC) last closed above $24,000, causing even the most bullish trader to question whether a sustainable recovery is feasible. However, despite the lackluster price action, bulls have the upper hand on Friday's $510 million BTC options expiry.

Investors have been reducing their risk exposure as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates and unwinds its record $8.9 trillion balance sheet. As a result, the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM), which measures price changes in crude oil, natural gas, gold, corn and lean hogs, has traded down 9% in the same period.

Traders continue to seek protection via U.S. Treasuries and cash positions as San Francisco Fed president Mary Daly said on Aug. 2 that the central bank's fight against inflation is "far from done." With that being said, the tighter monetary impact on inflation, employment levels and the global economy are yet to be seen.

Bearish bets are mostly below $22,000

Bitcoin's recovery above $22,000 on July 27 took bears by surprise because only 28% of the put (sell) options for Aug. 5 have been placed above such a price level. Meanwhile, Bitcoin bulls may have been fooled by the $24,500 pump on July 30, as 59% of their bets lay above $25,000.

A broader view using the 1.60 call-to-put ratio shows more bullish bets because the call (buy) open interest stands at $315 million against the $195 million put (sell) options. Nevertheless, as Bitcoin currently sits above $23,000, most bearish bets will likely become worthless.

Lido DAO (LDO) price edged higher on Aug. 3, primarily due to similar upside moves elsewhere in the crypto market and a rising euphoria around Ethereum's network upgrade in September.

On the daily chart, LDO's price reached an intraday high of $2.40 a day after bottoming out locally at $1.84. The sharp upside reversal amounted to nearly 30% gains in a day, suggesting traders' strengthening bullish bias for Lido DAO.

Lido DAO is a liquid staking solution for Ethereum by total value deposited. In other words, it allows users to participate in the running of Ethereum's upcoming proof-of-stake (PoS) chain in exchange for daily rewards. 

Ethereum's Ether token (ETH) has rallied by more than 90% since mid-June in part due to buzz around its blockchain's PoS upgrade called the Merge, expected in September. 

Lido DAO, the biggest Merge staking serve provider, has benefited from the craze simultaneously, with LDO, its governance token, rallying nearly 500% in the same period.

Lido DAO (LDO) price edged higher on Aug. 3, primarily due to similar upside moves elsewhere in the crypto market and a rising euphoria around Ethereum's network upgrade in September.

On the daily chart, LDO's price reached an intraday high of $2.40 a day after bottoming out locally at $1.84. The sharp upside reversal amounted to nearly 30% gains in a day, suggesting traders' strengthening bullish bias for Lido DAO.

Lido DAO is a liquid staking solution for Ethereum by total value deposited. In other words, it allows users to participate in the running of Ethereum's upcoming proof-of-stake (PoS) chain in exchange for daily rewards. 

Ethereum's Ether (ETH) token has rallied by more than 90% since mid-June in part due to buzz around its blockchain's PoS upgrade called the Merge, expected in September. 

Lido DAO, the biggest Merge staking serve provider, has benefited from the craze simultaneously, with LDO, its governance token, rallying nearly 500% in the same period.