During the last week, while crypto markets got hammered, digital currency-centric over-the-counter (OTC) trading desks were swamped with orders. The cryptocurrency OTC trading desk Cumberland, a subsidiary of DRW, explained that on June 13, the firm saw 30% more volume than the previous year-to-date high on May 13.
On big swings, more volume tends to come to OTC desks, and yesterday was no exception; it was the most volume we’ve seen so far this year. In fact, it was 30% more volume than the previous YTD high, May 13th. Traders tend to use OTC during fast markets because it’s much easier to move size. Volumes were very BTC-centric, with about 75% of the total flow in bitcoin. ETH was the majority of the remainder. When looking to exit risk, traders tend to trade the most liquid products.
