How to read the long/short ratio
The ratio compares the number of accounts holding a net long position to those holding a net short. A ratio of 2.5 means about 71% of accounts are long and 29% short.
| Ratio | What it says | What it does not say |
|---|---|---|
| Above 2 | Most accounts are long: the crowd is bullish | That price will rise; crowded longs often fuel drops |
| Around 1 | Accounts are split evenly | Anything about position size |
| Below 0.8 | Most accounts are short: squeeze fuel if price rises | That price will fall |
The key detail: every account counts once, whether it holds $10 or $10 million. That is why the top traders column matters. It shows the long/short ratio of the largest accounts by position size. When the crowd is heavily long but top traders are not, the crowd is often on the wrong side.
Use it with funding and open interest
The ratio alone is a sentiment gauge. Funding shows who is paying to stay in, and open interest shows whether positions are being added. When all three point the same way, a squeeze is more likely. We explain the method in the long/short ratio guide.
Crowded longs, smart money not
Pair it with a high long/short ratio on this page: crowd long, paying, adding, stretched.
Short squeeze watchlist
Shorts crowded and adding while price holds trend. Check the ratio here for confirmation.
Note: CryptoScanX scans funding and open interest as conditions; the long/short ratio is shown here as live context and is not yet a scan condition in the app.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good long/short ratio in crypto?
There is no good or bad value. Around 1 means balance. Very high readings (above 2–3) show crowded longs, which often precede long liquidations; very low readings show crowded shorts and squeeze risk.
Where does this long/short data come from?
Binance's public futures API: the global long/short account ratio and the top-trader position ratio, in 1-hour steps, loaded in your browser.
Is the BTC long/short ratio bullish when it is high?
Not by itself. A high ratio means many accounts are long, which is contrarian-bearish when combined with high funding and rising open interest.
What is the top trader long/short ratio?
The long/short ratio of the largest Binance futures accounts by position size. It reflects money more than headcount.