On Heels of First Losing Month of 2023, Bitcoin and Ether Flash Differing Signals

Bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) started June with losses after closing out their first losing months of 2023 in May. Despite similarities in performance, the CoinDesk Indices Trend Indicator for both assets implies differences in their near term direction.

While the Bitcoin Trend Indicator (BTI) is flashing a “neutral” signal, the Ether Trend Indicator (ETI) implies that token is in a “significant uptrend.”

The gauges are designed to convey the direction of price and strength of momentum for the assets. Daily signals are generated with BTC and ETH being associated with one of five distinct categories, ranging from “Significant Downtrend” to “Significant Uptrend”.

The methodology underpinning signal generation involves moving averages of different lengths, and the extent to which shorter duration averages cross above or below longer duration ones.

Ether’s trend is relatively young, having moved from neutral to significant uptrend three days ago. Bitcoin, meanwhile, flipped from downtrend to neutral just four days ago.

A longer look at ETH’s chart shows a general uptrend since November 2022 and a gain of 55% so far in 2023. Bitcoin’s 62% advance this year continues to outperform, but the gap has narrowed over the past month as bitcoin dipped nearly 8% in May while ether was roughly flat. That relative bitcoin weakness led to an 8.2% increase in the ETH/BTC ratio since April 30.

Ether bulls would also likely point to the 274,000 ETH contraction in supply since September, as an indication of value and beginning to show effect..

On-chain data suggests that investors remain bullish on ETH. The funding rate for ether futures has been positive since April 7, with the exception of just two days. Funding rates represent payments made between holders of perpetual futures contracts, and when funding rates are positive, it implies that investor sentiment is bullish; when negative, bearish..

Funding rates for bitcoin remain positive as well, a sign that bullish sentiment remains despite recent weakness in price.