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During periods of extreme fear and broader crypto weakness, even strong projects feel the strain. Over the past week, Sei [SEI] has come under pressure as sellers maintained control and market sentiment stayed fragile.
After losing the key $0.1206 support, the price slipped into a vulnerable zone. Spot market activity revealed whales taking the sell side, confirming that the downward pressure was not simply the result of retail panic.
Liquidity conditions deteriorated quickly once support failed. The loss of $0.1206 exposed SEI to a deeper downside pocket near $0.0689, where historical demand previously emerged.
Without a fast reclaim, confidence weakened, and follow-through selling became a real risk. Market participants shifted focus from upside continuation to damage control and liquidity preservation.
Why are traders increasing exposure as price falls?
Despite spot weakness, derivatives activity surged aggressively. SEI derivatives volume reached $32 million within 24 hours, as of writing, highlighting rising speculative interest.
Open Interest (OI) climbed alongside volume, showing that traders were adding exposure rather than exiting positions. This behavior suggested active positioning, not capitulation.
Source: CoinGlass
Rising volume paired with increasing OI during price weakness often signals leveraged conviction. Traders appeared willing to take directional bets, expecting volatility expansion.
However, this also increased liquidation risk, especially with price trading below the former support. Any sharp move could trigger forced unwinds, amplifying volatility in either direction.
Whale orders stay active!
Spot Average Order Size showed sustained whale participation as SEI trended lower, signaling active positioning rather than retail-driven selling.
Source: CryptoQuant
Large orders continued to appear during price weakness. This suggests distribution and absorption occurred simultaneously, with bigger players shaping market direction even as sentiment deteriorated.
Can SEI reclaim control before liquidity takes over?
Momentum indicators reflected sustained weakness, though early stabilization signals began to emerge. At press time, RSI stayed suppressed, signaling limited bullish strength but slowing sell pressure.
MACD remained negative, yet histogram compression pointed to fading downside momentum, with the blue line curling upward toward a bullish flip.
Such conditions often precede short-term reactions, though they do not guarantee a reversal.
Source: TradingView
For the structure to improve, SEI must reclaim the $0.1261 range decisively. A clean move above that zone would prevent former support from flipping into resistance.
Failure to reclaim leaves fear dominant and keeps $0.0689 in focus. Conversely, a break back above $0.20 would shift the structure meaningfully and relieve downside pressure.
Final Thoughts
- SEI’s breakdown alongside rising derivatives volume and OI reflects a market driven by leverage, not conviction.
- Smart investors often accumulate strong projects during fear, watching $0.1261 as the line between recovery and deeper downside.