According to @rovercrc, big institutions are stacking short positions in ETH and he frames this as potential fuel for the next rally via a short squeeze based on his X post and chart dated Aug 18, 2025, source: Crypto Rover on X, Aug 18, 2025. Traders should validate the claim by checking CFTC Commitments of Traders for CME Ether futures and comparing with exchange-level ETH perpetual funding and open interest before positioning, source: CFTC COT reports; CME Group market data; major exchange derivatives dashboards. A practical setup is to look for rising open interest with flat price action, funding turning negative, and visible liquidation clusters above recent highs before breakout longs, source: CME Group derivatives education; major exchange metrics. Invalidate the squeeze bias if open interest contracts while price drops and funding turns positive, indicating shorts covering rather than adding, source: CME Group derivatives concepts; major exchange metrics.