Bitcoin sets up potential short squeeze as funding plunges to -6%
Negative funding rates, rising open interest and liquidations point to crowded positioning and heightened derivatives activity.
By James Van Straten|Edited by Shaurya Malwa Feb 28, 2026, 11:00 a.m.
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What to know:
- Perpetual funding rates dropped to -6%, matching the most negative level in three months, signaling aggressive short positioning as bitcoin briefly fell to $63,000.
- Coin margined open interest climbed to 687,000 BTC, indicating increased participation despite the price swing.
Bitcoin is looking to reclaim $64,000 on possible short squeeze after earlier falling to as low as $63,000 following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
At the same time, perpetual futures funding rates dropped to -6%, according to CoinGlass, marking the second lowest level in the past three months. The last time funding was this negative was on Feb. 6, when bitcoin bottomed near $60,000.
Perpetual funding rates represent the periodic payments exchanged between traders in perpetual futures markets. When rates are positive, traders holding long positions pay those holding shorts. When rates turn negative, shorts pay longs.
Deeply negative funding typically signals aggressive short positioning and bearish sentiment, as traders are willing to pay a premium to maintain downside bets.
Meanwhile, coin margined open interest rose from 668,000 BTC to 687,000 BTC over the past 24 hours.
Measuring open interest in BTC terms removes the distortion caused by price swings. Rising open interest alongside negative funding suggests growing participation, with an increasing share of traders positioned for further downside.
In the past 24 hours, more than $500 million in crypto positions have been liquidated, according to CoinGlass data. The bulk of those liquidations were long positions, which accounted for over $420 million, highlighting the scale of forced selling as prices moved lower.
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