Ether futures open interest fell 25 percent over the past month, bringing $1,500 into focus as a key support level. Exchange-held ether also dropped by about 480,000 ETH in recent days, suggesting leverage is being reduced while spot supply tightens. Analysts pointed to sharp declines in open interest at Gate.io and a similar move at Bybit, while Binance held steadier even as funding rates turned negative.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange\'s bitcoin futures gap, long watched as a price variable, is set to effectively disappear after this week as CME Group moves to 24-hour, seven-day trading from May 30. The change makes weekend reopen price gaps harder to repeat. Analysts and traders are watching remaining unfilled gaps, including one just above $67,000, and tracking large trader positioning on Bitfinex for clues on short-term direction.