Bitcoin fell to $81K as ETF outflows picked up and long-term holders offloaded 370,000 BTC monthly. The price is now testing $80.7K, a key support level. Altcoins to watch are under pressure as market sentiment weakens. Short-term holders have 19.5% of their holdings underwater, adding to near-term risks.
Long-Term Holders are offloading a massive 370,000 BTC monthly, creating a persistent supply overhang that stifles upward price movement.
U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs have transitioned to net outflows, removing the primary liquidity engine that supported the 2025 bull run.
Bitcoin is currently probing the “True Market Mean” at $80.7K; a decisive breach below this could shift the market from a correction into a macro defensive regime.
The latest Week On-Chain report from Glassnode, Bitcoin’s market dynamics reveal a precarious consolidation phase, now exacerbated by a sharp drop from the slippery $90K zone to $81K. As options data foreshadowed, defensive positioning in derivatives markets has compounded structural headwinds, painting a picture of mounting sell pressure across multiple fronts.
Short-Term Holder Vulnerability and the $96.5K Threshold
Central to this analysis is the Short-Term Holder (STH) Cost Basis Model, a key risk indicator that delineates bull-bear thresholds. The model positions the STH cost basis at around $96.5K, with overheated zones (+2 STD) signaling euphoria and cooled levels (-1 STD) at $83.4K acting as critical support.
As we noted in this week’s Week On-Chain, $90K was a slippery zone based on options data. Since then, $BTC has fallen to $81K. Let’s break down the other structural factors behind this decline🧵 https://t.co/2EcIkQS3T7
Bitcoin’s recent breach below this basis exposes short-term holders to unrealized losses, with 19.5% of their supply underwater—far below the neutral 55% mark, indicating vulnerability without outright capitulation. The chart illustrates BTC’s price (black line) weaving through these bands (blue for cost basis, red for +2 STD, yellow for +1 STD, cyan for -1 STD) from 2018 to 2025, highlighting parallels to past bearish compressions in Q1 2022 and Q2 2018.
Long-Term Holders (LTHs) remain active distributors, offloading over 12K BTC daily on average—equating to 370K BTC monthly. This gross distribution sustains overhead supply, eroding upward momentum. Compounding this, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have flipped to net outflows, with 7-day averages near zero after earlier accumulation booms. Without these inflows absorbing liquidity, the market lacks a vital demand buffer.
ETF Outflows and Miner Transfers: A Liquidity Vacuum
Miners add to the fray, consistently transferring BTC to exchanges in net outflows, injecting additional structural sell-side. The descent was accelerated by a $300M wave of long liquidations, as leveraged positions unwound amid thinning liquidity.
Options markets lean bearish, with put premiums rising for short- to mid-term strikes around $85K, reflecting methodical hedging without panic. Dealer gamma turns short below $90K, mechanically amplifying pullbacks.
ETF flows stabilizing and LTH resilience could signal a bottom if support holds at $80.7K (True Market Mean). For now, Bitcoin’s path hinges on liquidity revival—watch for ETF inflows or slowed distributions as reversal cues. Investors should monitor on-chain metrics closely, as failure here risks deeper corrections in this defensive regime.
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