Coinbase Premium Negative for About 38 Days: A Prolonged Discount ≠ Shorts Are Already Covered

The index has stayed negative for several weeks, with some readings near multi-year lows. Don’t translate “a prolonged discount during U.S. trading hours” directly into “selling pressure is exhausted, so a rebound must be next.”

Look at three separate ledgers:
1. A discount only means it’s cheaper relative to offshore markets. It more likely points to weak U.S. spot buying or heavier selling—not a switch that sets global prices.
2. Rising trading volume through institutional channels only proves that turnover has increased—both buys and sells count as volume. Higher volume ≠ net buying.
3. Wait for the discount to narrow consistently and turn positive before talking about sentiment recovering; don’t mistake a one-day bounce for confirmation of a trend reversal.

The discount tells you “who’s more eager”; a sustained move into positive territory, along with spot buying support, tells you “whether U.S. trading is back.”

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