Bitcoin Unloading by Long-Term Holders Halted: Is the Market Gearing Up for a Rally?

Potential positive changes are brewing in the cryptocurrency market. For the first time since July 2025, wallet balances holding Bitcoin (BTC) for 155 days or more have stopped declining. This could signal a trend reversal and fertile ground for price recovery.

Suppression from "Old Hands" Ends

According to analyst and entrepreneur Ted Pillows, the volume of Bitcoin held by long-term investors has fallen from 14.8 million BTC to 14.3 million BTC since mid-July 2025. However, this downward trend has suddenly stopped.
"The situation looks favorable for a recovery rally," Pillows commented on the current dynamics, implying that the capitulation or profit-taking phase of "old" investors has ended.

Ethereum Whales Increase Their Reserves

In parallel with the situation in the Bitcoin market, Milk Road analysts, citing CryptoQuant data, have recorded a significant increase in reserves among large Ethereum (ETH) holders. Since December 26, 2025, "whales" have added 120,000 ETH to their wallets.

Addresses holding more than 1,000 ETH currently control approximately 70% of the asset's total supply. This share has been steadily increasing since late 2024. Experts believe the market has not yet fully priced in the potential for further strengthening of this trend. Former BitForex CEO Garrett Jin also predicts a future capital rotation from traditional precious metals to "digital gold" (Bitcoin) and Ethereum.

Caution and the Influence of American Investors

Despite optimistic forecasts, a high level of uncertainty remains in the market. Santiment analysts note the prevalence of extreme fear among market participants.

After the Christmas weekend, the Bitcoin price first surpassed $90,000 and then quickly corrected below $87,000. This led traders to adopt a wait-and-see approach again.

Some of the selling pressure may be related to the activity of American investors. The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index from Coinglass remains in negative territory, indicating that the Bitcoin price on the US-based exchange Coinbase is lower than the global market average. This suggests a predominance of selling among US investors.