Bitcoin News: Bitcoin Stalls Below $78,000 as Leverage Unwinds and Volatility Hits Three-Month Low

Key Takeaways Bitcoin is trading around $77,500–$78,500, stuck in a tight range after failing to clear $80,000 on Wednesday, with futures open interest falling over 6% to 744,300 BTC in 24 hoursNegative funding rates and a flipped negative CVD signal rising bearish short positioning in derivatives marketsBitcoin's 30-day implied volatility index (BVIV) has dropped to 42%, its lowest since January 31, with ETH's IV also hitting a multi-month low below 65%Zcash (ZEC) stands out with futures open interest up 7.5% to a 10-day high and 24-hour trading volume surging 80%, boosted by a Robinhood listingThe CoinDesk Memecoin Index was the only major benchmark in positive territory on Friday; DeFi tokens continued to suffer in the wake of the $290 million KelpDAO exploit Crypto markets shifted into a cooling phase on Friday as Bitcoin held a tight range between $77,500 and $78,500, with derivatives data pointing to leverage unwinding and a short-term loss of bullish momentum following the failed breakout attempt near $80,000 earlier this week. Despite the stall, the broader April trend remains constructive. Bitcoin has printed a series of higher highs and higher lows through the month and is on track for its best monthly performance since November 2024, up approximately 14.3% month-to-date. Leverage Comes Off, Bears Reassert in Derivatives Bitcoin futures open interest declined by over 6% in 24 hours to 744,300 BTC, a clear signal that traders are reducing leveraged exposure rather than adding to positions at current levels. The 24-hour open interest-adjusted cumulative volume delta has flipped negative, indicating sellers are hitting the bid more aggressively than buyers are lifting the ask. Annualized perpetual funding rates have also turned slightly negative, reflecting a shift toward net bearish short positioning in perpetuals. Options markets reinforce the cautious tone, with risk reversals on Deribit continuing to show a bias for put options across all timeframes -- a sign of persistent demand for downside protection and upside volatility selling via covered calls. One constructive signal within the derivatives data: Bitcoin's 30-day implied volatility index BVIV has dropped to 42%, its lowest level since January 31, while Ethereum's equivalent has dipped below 65%, also a multi-month low. Falling implied volatility alongside range-bound prices suggests the market views the current pause as a consolidation rather than a reversal, with investors pricing reduced near-term risk rather than accelerating downside. Macro Backdrop Stays Mixed US stock futures were split on Friday, with Nasdaq 100 futures rising 0.5% on the back of strong tech earnings while S&P 500 futures slipped marginally. The Dollar Index was little changed despite President Trump confirming a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon -- the dollar had fallen roughly 0.5% when the ceasefire was first announced on April 16. Zcash Breaks Out on Robinhood Listing While most of the major crypto derivatives markets saw lackluster activity, Zcash (ZEC) was a clear standout. Futures open interest in ZEC climbed nearly 7.5% to a 10-day high of 1.88 million tokens, while 24-hour trading volume surged 80%. The token boasts one of the strongest positive CVD readings in the market alongside positive funding rates, pointing to sustained aggressive buying and net bullish positioning. ZEC gave back 0.5% of its gains on Friday but remains up more than 7% over the past 24 hours, driven by Thursday's listing on retail trading platform Robinhood. Altcoins Mixed, DeFi Sentiment Remains Soft Broader altcoin performance was subdued. Futures tied to Ethereum, Solana, and XRP saw lackluster trading over the past 24 hours. The CoinDesk Memecoin Index (CDMEME) was the sole major benchmark in positive territory on Friday, posting a gain of less than 0.2%. The DeFi Select Index and Computing Select Index each fell approximately 1%. DeFi tokens Lido (LDO) and Morpho led sector losses, falling between 3% and 3.8% since midnight UTC as sentiment continues to be weighed down by the fallout from last weekend's $290 million KelpDAO exploit. CoinMarketCap's Altcoin Season index ticked back up to 39 out of 100, suggesting some speculative rotation into altcoins as Bitcoin remained range-bound -- though the reading remains well short of the 75+ threshold that typically signals a full altcoin season.