Open interest measures outstanding derivatives exposure, funding reflects the perpetual market's price-balancing payment, and liquidation data estimates forced-close risk. None identifies direction alone; read changes together with price, volume and market structure.
Created from deterministic market calculations and editorial review. AI may summarize evidence but cannot invent prices, levels or results.
Primary-source policy: exchange data and documentation, broker contract terms, and official regulator or market-education materials.
Change history: first published 13 Aug 2026; expanded 26 Aug; topic and methodology review 28 Aug 2026.Read the full methodology →What to remember
- OI growth means more exposure, not automatically more longs.
- Funding shows crowding pressure, not a reversal timer.
- Volume confirms participation but needs context.
- A proxy is not a true liquidation heatmap.
Open interest versus volume
Volume counts turnover during a period; open interest estimates positions still open. Price up with rising OI can show new participation, while price movement on falling OI can reflect closing positions. Exchange coverage, contract type and USD conversion must be labelled.
Practical workflow: save price, OI, funding, volume, venue and timestamp together. Compare changes over equal intervals and mark any pressure zone as supporting context rather than an executable price.
Funding and crowding
Positive funding usually means longs pay shorts; negative funding reverses that relationship. Extreme funding can signal crowded positioning but can remain extreme. Compare the same venue and contract through time and never infer an individual trader's liquidation price.
Practical workflow: save price, OI, funding, volume, venue and timestamp together. Compare changes over equal intervals and mark any pressure zone as supporting context rather than an executable price.
Liquidation maps and honest proxies
A true heatmap requires venue-level leverage and liquidation estimates and is still model-dependent. HyperFX uses clearly labelled OKX public OI, funding, volume and ATR pressure zones. These show areas where volatility may matter; they are not known user orders or guaranteed magnets.
Practical workflow: save price, OI, funding, volume, venue and timestamp together. Compare changes over equal intervals and mark any pressure zone as supporting context rather than an executable price.