Short-term Bitcoin holders sell-off, what's next for Bitcoin?
Recent on-chain data highlights an important trend: a wave of profit-taking for investors who have held Bitcoin (BTC) for less than five months. According to the latest data analysis, this phenomenon is not just a random market movement, but an echo of the pattern observed at the peak of the previous bull market.
According to the latest data, the Expenditure Output Profit Margin (SOPR) is a key indicator for assessing the profit and loss of Bitcoin transactions over a specific period, and its significant rise indicates that profits are realized broadly. This trend of short-term holders liquidating their holdings for yield parallels historical market peaks, suggesting that Bitcoin is at a critical juncture.
Experienced market analyst Crypto Dan highlighted the importance of this trend, stating that "this movement only happens every few years", emphasizing the uniqueness and possible consequences of the current market trend. While the SOPR indicator may sound alarm bells and be reminiscent of past bull market peaks, the supportive factors of the crypto landscape may mitigate the traditional results of such profit-taking.
These include the recently launched Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This new approach to Bitcoin investment introduces a complex layer to the market dynamics, potentially cushioning any adverse effects of profit-taking activity by short-term holders.
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez pointed to this bull accumulation pattern in a post on his social media platform X. According to the chart shared by the analyst, the total amount of BTC on exchanges has been plummeting since mid-January. Notably, the total BTC balance saw a brief increase in the first few days of March before resuming free fall on March 5. In the past week alone, 21,401 BTC has been transferred from cryptocurrency exchanges.
Similarly, cryptocurrency analytics platforms have noticed this outflow pattern this week. Allegedly, on March 15, BTC withdrawals on crypto exchanges reached their highest point this year. Interestingly, $750 million worth of Bitcoin was withdrawn on the day, which is the highest level since May 2023.
Since the beginning of the year, the Bitcoin ecosystem has witnessed a significant flow of funds, resulting in a strong increase in the price of the cryptocurrency. However, the rally has since slowed, triggering a price correction and market sentiment reaching its most negative sentiment for BTC since December 2023. Bitcoin is currently trading at $68,201, down 3.44% over the past seven days.
After such a strong rise in prices, it is normal for momentum to slow down as the market consolidates and decides on its next move. Despite the slowdown in momentum, Bitcoin's overall trend remains bullish. Judging by the recent withdrawal of a large number of bitcoins from exchanges, whales seem to be bracing for a sustained rally. Bitcoin is now showing signs of rebounding, rising 5% in the last 24 hours.
(Source: Samuel Edyme, Scott Matherson)