Retail interest is beginning to creep back into the market, though it hasn’t quite reached Bitcoin just yet. Bitcoin currently sits roughly 5% below its recent local peak, yet it remains up 27% from the lows set in mid-March. This recovery has been largely driven by smart money accumulation during periods of extreme fear.
While traditional markets seem to be rallying to new highs daily, Bitcoin can appear forgotten. To put things into perspective, during the height of the Middle East conflict, Bitcoin was down over 50% from its all-time high, whereas the S&P 500 dropped less than 10%.
The current strength in the S&P 500 is fueled by the AI narrative, which has sparked extreme bullishness among retail investors. Data from The Kobeissi Letter highlights this shift:
Record Options Trading: Daily net call option purchases by retail investors have hit ~9 million contracts, the highest level since November 2025.
Aggressive Betting: This represents a 350% increase in retail “calls” (bets on higher prices) since the late-March low.
Historic Surge: This is the largest monthly increase in retail option buying seen in at least two years.
Euphoria: Retail sentiment is currently 33% higher than the average levels seen throughout 2024 and 2025.
The current dynamic is clear: smart money is focused on Bitcoin at discounted levels, while retail is flocking to traditional stocks that are already at or near all-time highs. This is the natural flow of markets. Smart money positions itself before the narrative goes mainstream.
Don’t wait for the Bitcoin narrative to arrive. By the time it does, price will likely be well above the key $80,000 level. Remember smart money isn’t defined by the amount of dollars in your bank account or assets you hold, it is a mindset. Ensure you adopt this mindset, your future self will thank you.
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