Bitcoin traders load up on bearish bets all the way down to $52,000

Markets Bitcoin traders load up on bearish bets all the way down to $52,000 Bitcoin traders are scrambling to buy options bets that would pay off if the selloff deepens. By Omkar Godbole Jun 19, 2026, 5:02 a.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Make preferred on BTC traders position for a deeper slide. (xing419/Pixabay) Summary Show Bitcoin traders are heavily buying short- and near-dated put options on Deribit, signaling growing bets on a deeper price drop toward levels as low as $52,000. The rush into out-of-the-money puts reflects mounting bearish sentiment driven by a hawkish Federal Reserve, a stronger dollar and dominant BTC holder Strategy's growing complications. Bitcoin BTC $ 62,508.40 traders are scrambling to position for a deeper selloff, snapping up put options that would deliver big payouts if prices slide all the way down to $52,000 in the coming weeks. In the past 24 to 48 hours, crypto exchange Deribit saw heavy buying of short- and near-dated put options, spanning expirations from June 22 to July 31, according to data tracked by Laevitas. Notable flows included: June 22 $61,500 puts (337 contracts) July 3 $60,000 puts (116 contracts) and $55,000 puts (380 contracts) July 10 $55,000 puts (540 contracts) July 31 $52,000 puts (314 contracts) A put option is likely an insurance against market swoons. A put buyer locks in the right to sell bitcoin at a specific strike price in the future. If the price drops below that strike price, the buyer can still sell at the predetermined higher price, thus pocketing the difference as profit. On Deribit, one options contract represents on BTC. The surge in these out-of-the-money puts reflects a distinctly bearish sentiment and understandably so, as several catalysts are weighing on the market. A hawkish Federal Reserve is bolstering the U.S. dollar, bitcoin ETFs have seen persistent outflows, and Strategy, the largest publicly listed bitcoin holder, faces mounting pressure. Strategy's preferred stock, STRC, has plunged to record lows well below its $100 par value, complicating the company’s aggressive bitcoin accumulation strategy. Arca CIO Jeff Dorman highlighted the precarious situation:"Either sell an enormous amount of BTC and MSTR to help bring $STRC back up near par, and at least buy yourself some time, or continue to watch every part of your cap structure melt because of the uncertainty you've created," he said on X. As of writing, BTC changed hands near $62,400, down 0.8% since midnight UTC hours, according to CoinDesk data. Prices hit highs near $67,000 early this week. Bitcoin News Related Assets Bitcoin $ 62,508.40 2.20 % Latest Crypto News 1 Bitcoin falls below $63,000 as risk assets sell off and the week's bounce fades 13 minutes ago 2 Ex-Celsius CEO Mashinsky gets U.S. CFTC ban in final resolution with regulator 9 hours ago 3 U.S. agencies seek stablecoin customer-ID rules akin to banks in new GENIUS Act pitch 11 hours ago 4 Ethereum Foundation loses another key leader as co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang resigns 13 hours ago 5 Crypto for Advisors: Trading the bitcoin cycle 14 hours ago 6 Algorand unveils roadmap to achieve quantum resistance by 2028 15 hours ago 7 CoinDesk 20 performance update: Stellar (XLM) jumps 10% while index declines 15 hours ago 8 Alchemy's AI-driven identity and payment service gains access to Visa network 16 hours ago 9 Hive shares jumps 10% on $220m Canada sovereign AI infrastructure deal 17 hours ago 10 The great rotation: Investors desert the Magnificent 7, crypto for AI bottlenecks 17 hours ago Latest Research CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high. By CoinDesk Research Jun 15, 2026 In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high. Why it matters : In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high. View Full Report More From Markets Bitcoin falls below $63,000 as risk assets sell off and the week's bounce fades Hive shares jumps 10% on $220m Canada sovereign AI infrastructure deal The great rotation: Investors desert the Magnificent 7, crypto for AI bottlenecks More From Bitcoin Bitcoin falls below $63,000 as risk assets sell off and the week's bounce fades Ex-Celsius CEO Mashinsky gets U.S. CFTC ban in final resolution with regulator U.S. agencies seek stablecoin customer-ID rules akin to banks in new GENIUS Act pitch