Crypto Market May Be Nearing A Local Bottom Amid Bearish Sentiment

According to Cointelegraph, the crypto market might be approaching a local bottom, as suggested by Felix Hartmann, founder of Hartmann Capital. Hartmann pointed to extended negative funding rates and widespread bearish sentiment as indicators of this potential shift. He expressed his views in a February 8 post on X, suggesting that these conditions often signal a market bottom. Hartmann highlighted that crypto funding rates, which are payments designed to align futures and spot market prices, have been negative for some time. This indicates a predominance of sellers over buyers, which can suggest bearish sentiment among traders. Such sustained negative funding rates may hint at a market bottom and the possibility of a near-term rebound. Additionally, Hartmann noted that "quality alts" have retraced to long-term trendlines, erasing most of the gains made in the fourth quarter of 2024. For instance, Ether (ETH) was trading above $4,000 in December 2024, with speculation about retesting its November 2021 all-time high of $4,878. However, it has since fallen to $2,639. Similarly, Solana (SOL) reached a new all-time high of $295 on January 19 but has since decreased to $201.15. The overall market cap of memecoins also declined by 32.38% by the end of December 2024. Crypto analyst Matthew Hyland recently commented that the market might not revisit those December highs for most altcoins for at least two months, if not longer. Hartmann further mentioned that the overall crypto sentiment is "absolutely wrecked," which he believes is often a positive signal. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index, which measures market sentiment, currently reads a "Fear" score of 46, down from last week's "Greed" score of 60. Echoing this sentiment, crypto analyst Mike Alfred noted in a January 21 post that the "terrible" sentiment in the crypto market is reminiscent of setups for prior major sector-wide rallies. Bitwise's chief investment officer, Matt Hougan, observed that retail sentiment is at its lowest in years, while professional investors remain "extraordinarily bullish," creating a significant disconnect between the two groups. Hartmann suggested that while the crypto market may continue to experience volatility, this could be the "tail end" as most unlocked venture capital token allocations have already been "dumped" in the past two quarters. Between March and October 2024, token unlocks released $35 billion worth of assets, significantly increasing market supply.