CryptoQuant CEO: Retail Traders Dominate Bitcoin Futures

CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju announced on X that the Bitcoin futures market, as of October 2025, is dominated by retail investors, with average order sizes dropping significantly.

This shift suggests increased market volatility and unpredictability amid reduced institutional engagement, highlighting potential retail-induced turmoil unless institutional players return.

CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju noted the average size of Bitcoin futures orders has reduced to $2,000. This indicates a significant shift towards retail trading dominance, contrasting with the previous institutional presence.

Ki Young Ju, speaking via X, emphasized that institutional activity has decreased considerably in Bitcoin futures. He stated, “The avg. order size in BTC futures dropped to $2k from $6k this year. Whales are on the sidelines. Market is mostly retail now. For sustained uptrend, need institutional inflows.” This has resulted in a predominantly retail-driven market, necessitating institutional inflows for a sustained uptrend.

The immediate impact is heightened market volatility as smaller trades become more prevalent. With institutional participants largely absent, price movements are less predictable, reflecting the retail market’s influence.

This retail dominance may lead to fragmented price action. The lack of large institutional trades contributes to unpredictable fluctuations, as seen in previous retail-heavy periods.

Historically, when futures markets skewed retail-heavy, Bitcoin experienced increased volatility. This pattern echoes past retail surges, often resulting in short-term rallies and downturns until institutional players re-entered.

The future may see continued randomness in price action unless institutions return. Retail dominance without institutional balance could persist, causing higher volatility and fragmented trends in Bitcoin and related markets.