- Bitcoin whales have cashed out $1.2 billion in BTC over the past two weeks
- These HODLers have held at least 1,000 Bitcoin for several years before selling
- This sell-off has raised concerns about a potential market top
Well-established Bitcoin whales have cashed out $1.2 billion worth of BTC in the past two weeks, according to data from CryptoQuant. This massive sell-off by these seasoned HODLers, who have held at least 1,000 Bitcoin for several years, indicates an increased appetite for profit-taking as they make the most of current market prices. The data raises concerns that the market top could be in, given that the last time such activity was seen was close to the 2022 high.
Market Hasn’t Felt the Impact Yet
CryptoQuant’s on-chain data highlights that the profit realization in USD by these “old whales” surged in June, with CEO Ki Young Ju suggesting that a substantial portion of these sales likely occurred through brokers, meaning the market hasn’t fully felt the impact of this sell-side liquidity:
#Bitcoin long-term holder whales sold $1.2B in the past 2 weeks, likely through brokers.
ETF netflows are negative with $460M outflows in the same period.
If this ~$1.6B in sell-side liquidity isn’t bought OTC, brokers may deposit $BTC to exchanges, impacting the market. pic.twitter.com/oYeKsRqKeF
— Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) June 18, 2024
Ki warned that if these holdings were to hit the market directly, it could potentially intensify the current bearish trend in the crypto market, a decline that has seen $300 million in outflows from Bitcoin ETFs in just two days and Bitcoin mining firms selling their coins to maintain operations. As a result, Bitcoin has seen a 6.6% decline over the past week and sits on a key line of support.
Whales Still Accumulating
While CryptoQuant’s data for old whales indicates significant profit-taking, the broader picture shows that Bitcoin whales, in general, are still accumulating coins, albeit at a slower rate compared to earlier this year. Similarly, stablecoins are experiencing growth in market cap, though the pace has decelerated.
Julio Moreno, Head of Research at CryptoQuant, told Decrypt that this level of profit-taking in USD terms is unprecedented, only comparable to when Bitcoin traded at $40,000 in April 2022. This period saw $683 million in profits in a single day.
