Charles Schwab executive: Bitcoin did not crash because of Saylor, but rather lost its momentum trading dominance

According to CoinDesk, Jim Ferraioli, Director of Digital Asset Research at Charles Schwab, stated that the recent weakness in Bitcoin is not due to a decline in institutional demand or Michael Saylor selling Bitcoin, but rather it is losing its position as the market's dominant momentum trading asset.

He pointed out that crypto investors have traditionally followed momentum, and currently, momentum has left the crypto space. Funds are flowing into hot narratives such as AI-related stocks and IPOs, with SpaceX's IPO potentially valued at $1.8 trillion, and a number of other IPOs collectively raising over $200 billion, drawing liquidity away from the crypto market. Crypto traders are also speculating on pre-IPO stocks through synthetic derivative contracts on DEXs like Hyperliquid.

Ferraioli downplayed the impact of Strategy selling 32 Bitcoins, believing it merely provided a convenient narrative for a broader trend that has already occurred. He noted that while Bitcoin ETFs have expanded access channels, this asset class is still primarily dominated by retail and momentum traders. Summer has historically been a season of weakness for Bitcoin, and there is currently a lack of buying reasons as investors have other options.