Analyst: The lock-up token arbitrage mechanism driven by FTX liquidation may be the main reason for the poor market performance this round.

SOL1,09%
BTC2,56%

Gate News reports that on March 26, crypto analyst Willy Woo posted on X analyzing the reasons behind the current market downturn and poor performance of altcoins. Willy Woo pointed out that the core reason traces back to the asset liquidation mechanism created after the FTX bankruptcy, involving “discounted token lock-up trading + futures hedging.” During FTX’s liquidation, a large amount of locked SOL was sold under a “pay first, deliver later” agreement, often at over 60% discount due to limited liquidity. Hedge funds bought these tokens and hedged price risk through futures markets, combined with staking yields and basis gains, achieving nearly risk-free returns of about 70%-80%. Willy Woo believes this strategy then spread across the industry, with many project teams and their foundations selling locked tokens early to hedge funds, which used derivatives markets to hedge and release selling pressure. This made it difficult for ordinary investors to earn excess returns and was a significant reason for the overall poor performance in this cycle. Willy Woo stated that this means some projects’ nominal future unlock selling pressure has been pre-absorbed, and the actual selling pressure in the next bull market may be lower than expected. He recommends that ordinary investors in the crypto market find it hard to gain an advantage and should prioritize core assets like Bitcoin.

Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to Disclaimer.

Related Articles

Bitmine promoted to the NYSE Main Board! Tom Lee: U.S. stocks may be at a bottom, and selling pressure on Ether could ease

Bitmine has officially moved from the NYSE American board to the main board in the U.S., marking an important milestone for the company. Despite a sharp drop in its share price, it has still increased its share repurchase program to $4 billion. The company holds a large amount of Ether (ETH), and expects that a rebound in the crypto market will help improve its assets and share price performance.

CryptoCity1h ago

Bitcoin Reclaims $76,000 as US March PPI Misses Forecasts

Bitcoin surged past $76,000 following lower-than-expected US Producer Price Index data for March 2026, which indicated a 4% year-over-year increase. The rise reflects strong market support despite declining leveraged positions.

GateNews3h ago

BTC 15-minute rise of 0.64%: a technical breakout of key resistance combined with weak liquidity amplifies volatility

2026-04-14 15:30 to 15:45 (UTC), BTC saw short-term fluctuations within the 74,795.5 to 75,319.3 USDT range, with a return of +0.64% and a range of 0.70%. During this period, market attention warmed up, volatility intensified, trading volume rose slightly compared with the previous hour, and short-term buy orders pushed the price upward quickly. The main driver of this unusual move was BTC’s short-term technical breakout above the 74,000 USDT key resistance, which generated a long signal and triggered rapid responses from quantitative and programmatic buy orders. At the same time, because the order book depth has been rising since 2025

GateNews3h ago

ETH rose 1.06% in 15 minutes: global political stimulation and a coordinated boost to risk appetite and on-chain activity together drove the move

From 15:30 to 15:45 (UTC) on 2026-04-14, the ETH price range was 2340.75 to 2367.0 USDT. Within 15 minutes, the return rate reached +1.06%, and the amplitude was 1.12%. Market volatility intensified, and on-chain and social attention rose in tandem. Short-term trading activity increased significantly, and investor sentiment shifted to optimism. The main driving force behind this market move is the direct impact of an international political event on risk appetite. The United States announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East region related to the White House, creating a stark contrast with peace signals reportedly coming from Iran, and it triggered uncertainty and panic sentiment in the market.

GateNews3h ago

Bitmine gets promoted to the NYSE main board! Tom Lee: US stocks may be at a bottom, with selling pressure on Ether easing

Bitmine has officially moved from the NYSE American board to the main board, marking an important milestone for the company. Despite a sharp decline in its stock price, it has still increased the share repurchase plan to $4 billion. The company holds a large amount of Ether, and it expects that a rebound in the crypto market will help enhance its assets and stock price performance.

CryptoCity4h ago

Bitcoin Reclaims $75,000 for Second Time Since US-Iran Conflict, Up 7% in 24 Hours

Bitcoin surged to $75,000 amid rising U.S.-Iran tensions, adding $98 billion to its market cap and causing $500 million in liquidations. Technical analysts suggest that holding support above $67,000 could lead to an increase toward $80,000, despite highlighting $50,000 as a critical level if support fails.

GateNews4h ago
Comment
0/400
No comments