As Bitcoin surged above $77,000 last week, major crypto trading firms like Abraxas Capital, Fasanara Capital, and Wintermute have built hundreds of millions of dollars in short perpetual futures positions on Hyperliquid, while simultaneously holding spot crypto. This market-neutral cash-and-carry (or basis) trade allows them to capture positive funding rates, which have turned attractive again after months of compression or negativity. The annualized yield from collecting funds is in the high single digits, with the 30-day average Bitcoin perpetual funding rate reaching 6.7% annualized on August 24, and the 7-day average hitting 8.7%.