Cryptocurrency
Retail Bitcoin Investors Are Lagging: Here’s What it Means According to CryptoQuant
While bitcoin demand among large investors is picking up as time passes, smaller market players are lagging.
According to a CryptoQuant report, the holdings of retail bitcoin investors are growing at a historically slow pace, even as this cohort of players gradually returns to the market amid BTC’s ascent to the $70,000 level.
Retail Investor Holdings Slowly Growing
In the past 30 days, retail bitcoin holdings have increased by just 1,000 BTC. The total assets by this group of market participants have also risen by 18,000 BTC since July 3, when it recorded a local bottom. At the time of writing, retail investors held 1.753 million BTC, slightly lower than the 1.765 million record at the end of 2023.
Since May 2023, when retail holdings grew by 27,000, the balances of these investors have been reducing. Before this period of declining holdings, retail investors saw moments of high growth: market recovery in April 2020 after the COVID-19 crash, the previous bull cycle top in April 2021, and the 2022 bear market following the crash of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX.
Currently, larger bitcoin investors have outpaced retail players. The holdings of larger entities are growing at a faster pace than retail investors, with the former adding 173,000 BTC to their stash since the start of the year. On the other hand, the latter have grown their holdings by just 30,000 BTC year-to-date.
“Retail investors saw their holdings increase significantly in the bear market of 2022, when they peaked at a yearly growth rate of 347K Bitcoin,” noted CryptoQuant.
Low BTC Transfer Activity
The slow growth among retail investors can also be seen in their overall BTC transfer activity to exchanges, which has plunged from 2,700 BTC in the first half of 2023 to 2,000 BTC in the second half and now 1,400 BTC in 2024. CryptoQuant says this indicates that retail investors have not been selling their assets aggressively, mirroring their weak BTC purchases.
Additionally, daily bitcoin transfers by retail investors are at their lowest levels. The volume of these transfers was $326 million in mid-September, the lowest level seen since 2020.
Interestingly, analysts said historical data shows low BTC transfer activity among retail investors preceding price rallies; hence, the current state of smaller bitcoin investors could be a positive signal.
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Cryptocurrency
US Entities’ Bitcoin Holdings Reach Massive Record: Details
The US entities’ share of global Bitcoin reserves has reached an all-time high amidst increasing confidence in the asset class. The figure is now 65% higher than non-US entities, according to CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju.
This milestone is based on an analysis of Bitcoin holdings by identifiable US entities – including miners, MicroStrategy (MSTR), ETFs, exchanges, and government accounts – compared to known offshore counterparts.
Institutional Demand Pushes US Bitcoin Reserve Ratio to ATH
As per the infographic shared by the exec, the ratio of US to non-US Bitcoin reserves has seen a sharp increase as it rose from 1.24 in September 2024 to 1.66 by December 16 and maintained a level of 1.65 as of January 6, 2025. This shift follows a period in 2023 when offshore holdings predominated while Bitcoin traded under $30,000.
U.S. entities’ #Bitcoin reserve share hit ATH, now 65% higher than non-U.S. entities. pic.twitter.com/SSgotY6RL8
— Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) January 9, 2025
The recent surge in US-based Bitcoin reserves aligns with key events. This includes pro-crypto Donald Trump’s re-election and his proposal to establish a national strategic Bitcoin reserve, which coincided with the leading crypto asset’s surge to an all-time high above $108,000.
Institutional interest has also surged, as evidenced by spot Bitcoin ETFs experiencing record inflows and trading volumes alongside MicroStrategy’s ongoing accumulation.
The latter currently holds 447,470 BTC after its latest purchase of 1,070 BTC. The company also announced plans to raise $42 billion over three years to expand its Bitcoin portfolio.
Several companies have followed MicroStrategy’s footsteps. Despite the minor slump in the market, small entities in the country remained committed to Bitcoin. For instance, this week, Thumzup Media Corporation, known for its expertise in social media branding and marketing, purchased 9.783 BTC for approximately $1 million.
The company entered the Bitcoin market for the first time in November 2024, shortly after Trump’s election win. During the same period, Solidion Technology, specializing in battery materials, revealed its intention to invest a portion of its cash reserves in Bitcoin. Genius Group quickly followed, rolling out a Bitcoin-focused initiative and committing $120 million to the digital asset.
Global Governments and Corporations Ramp Up Interest
These developments have sparked interest among non-US entities and governments in building their own strategic Bitcoin reserves. The most prominent example of this is the Japanese venture capital fund Metaplanet, which has set a target of 10,000 BTC as part of its 2025 vision.
Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich recently even predicted a global rush for BTC reserves if Trump establishes a US strategic Bitcoin reserve. The exec said that Japan and other Asian countries would likely follow the US lead, viewing Bitcoin as a strategic national asset.
He highlighted growing corporate and governmental interest in BTC and added that such trends with principles in “The Bitcoin Standard.” Gerovich also noted that Trump’s reserve strategy could also inspire third-world countries to adopt Bitcoin to stabilize their currencies.
Governments around the world are already considering Bitcoin as a reserve asset. Czech National Bank Governor Aleš Michl, for one, proposed acquiring Bitcoin for diversification in a bid to join the likes of Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong in exploring crypto reserves.
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Cryptocurrency
These Altcoins Bleed Out as Bitcoin (BTC) Slips Below $93K (Market Watch)
Bitcoin just doesn’t seem to be able to catch a break, as the asset slipped below $93,000 on a couple of occasions in the past 12 hours or so.
Many altcoins are also in dire situations, with notable price losses from the likes of DOGE, ADA, AVAX, LINK, and others.
BTC’s Troubles Keep Mounting
It was just about 48 hours ago when the primary cryptocurrency was charting new yearly peaks. Recall that the asset had climbed above $102,000 after a relatively quiet weekend amid growing ETF inflows, but then the landscape changed after the US announced the latest jobs report.
In a matter of minutes, the cryptocurrency plunged from six-digit territory to under $97,000 on Tuesday afternoon. The situation worsened on Wednesday as the bears kept pushing BTC south, which culminated in a price drop to $92,500 (on Bitstamp). After that weekly low, bitcoin bounced off and touched $95,000, but that was short-lived as the ETF flows turned negative, with nearly $600 million in the red.
As the Thursday Asian trading session progressed, BTC dropped once again to under $93,000. Although it sits just above that line now, the asset has lost nearly ten grand since Tuesday morning.
Its market cap has plummeted below $1.850 trillion but its dominance over the alts stands tall above 54% on CG.
ADA Down 8.5%
The altcoins are in no better shape, especially Cardano’s native token. ADA has plunged by more than 8% in the past 24 hours and has lost the $1 mark. DOGE, AVAX, LINK, and XLM are the other massive losers within the same time frame, with declines of up to 7%.
Nevertheless, the biggest and most painful decreases are evident from AI16Z and WIF. Both assets have tumbled by double digits (19% and $14%, respectively) to $1.47 and $1.62.
The cumulative market cap of all crypto assets has lost over $350 billion in two days and is down to $3.4 trillion on CG.
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Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
Cryptocurrency
Top Cardano (ADA) Price Forecasts: Further Decline or a Rise to a New ATH?
TL;DR
- Analysts highlight a potential breakout for ADA, supported by bullish chart patterns and upcoming developments for Cardano.
- However, recent whale sales of millions of tokens could negatively affect the price.
The Bullish Scenario
Despite the solid start to the year, the past few days have not been kind to the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has plummeted by around 9% on a 48-hour scale, while numerous altcoins have suffered even more substantial declines.
Cardano’s ADA is one of those, with its valuation dumping by 20% since January 7. Currently, it trades at around $0.91 (per CoinGecko’s data), while its market capitalization fell well below $35 billion.
The popular X user Dan Gambardello, though, remains an optimist. Recently, he claimed that ADA has “one of the most bullish weekly pattern setups in crypto,” which represents an “inverse head and shoulders with upward sloping neckline.” Gambradello assumed that a breakout to the upside could result in a price rally to as high as $7.
Altcoin Daily chipped in, too. At the start of the year, they outlined bullish predictions about multiple cryptocurrencies, envisioning ADA’s valuation to hit $6.45 sometime in 2025. It is worth mentioning that the analyst said this target should not be taken for granted, suggesting that “any altcoin can theoretically go to zero at any time.“ They also warned people to invest only as much as they are ready to lose.
Meanwhile, Cardano is set to undergo some essential developments in the next 12 months that could trigger upward pressure on the price of the native token. Those willing to check what’s on the agenda can take a look at our dedicated video below:
How About a Further Pullback?
Contrary to the aforementioned bullish predictions, some factors signal that ADA could continue plunging in the near future. Earlier this week, the X user Ali Martinez revealed that whales have sold over 70 million tokens in the span of 48 hours.
Such actions from large investors increase the circulating supply of ADA and could be followed by a price decline (assuming demand doesn’t catch up with the pace). Additionally, the move may discourage smaller players and trigger a more substantial selling spree.
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