In a development that raises concerns about the health of the cryptocurrency market, trading volumes have plummeted to their lowest levels since 2019. Data compiled by CCData reveals that the combined monthly volume of spot and derivatives trading fell by 11.5% to $2.09 trillion in August, marking the second-lowest monthly total since October 2020. The decline in trading activity has been consistent since April of this year, resembling the stagnant trading volumes witnessed during the bear market of 2019.
Spot trading volume on centralized exchanges dropped for the second consecutive month, falling 7.78% to $475 billion. This is the lowest monthly spot-trading volume recorded since March 2019. Derivatives trading volume fell 12.3% to $1.62 trillion, the second lowest since December 2020.
Binance, which remains the largest exchange for crypto spot trading, saw its market share shrink for the sixth straight month, settling at 38.5%, the lowest since August 2022. According to CCData, Huobi’s share in the global spot market activity has increased by 2.26%, making it the second-largest centralized spot exchange by volume. Huobi also accounts for 6.09% of the total spot market volume.
Source: CCData
The impact on exchanges and market makers
The decline in trading volumes has created a challenging environment for exchanges and market makers. The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange last November severely dented investor confidence in centralized exchanges and significantly reduced market depth. Market makers’ profit margin has dropped by 30% after FTX’s collapse, according to Bloomberg.
The tepid interest in cryptocurrency trading seems to be carrying into September, with Bitcoin, which accounts for about half of crypto’s $1 trillion market capitalization, remaining largely unchanged at around $25,800. The leading cryptocurrency had almost reached $69,000 in November 2021, highlighting the drastic change in investor sentiment. The decline in trading volumes is particularly concerning given that even significant events, such as Grayscale Investments’ court victory over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, failed to stir traders from their torpor.
In summary, the cryptocurrency market is currently witnessing a significant decline in trading volumes, reaching levels not seen since the bear market of 2019. The drop in activity has had a cascading effect on exchanges and market makers, who are already grappling with reduced profit margins and waning investor interest. While some fluctuations in trading volumes are to be expected in any financial market, the consistent decline over several months raises questions about the long-term health and investor interest in the cryptocurrency space.
