XRP Perpetual Futures Open Interest (PFOI) has shot up significantly since March 24 to around $610 million at its peak.

Open interest refers to the number of open futures contracts traders hold at the end of a trading day. It is commonly used to gauge market sentiment and the strength underlying price moves.

Whereas perpetual futures are a form of derivative contract, with no expiration date, that is cash settled – as opposed to settled in the underlying asset.

Since the start of March, XRP PFOI had been holding relatively steady, at around $300 million. However, on March 22, a significant jump in PFOI occurred – spiking as high as $500 million.

Through to March 26, a downtrend followed. But as we entered this week, futures traders began piling in to lift XRP PFOI much higher – peaking at $610 million on Wednesday.

(by Samuel Wan)