Summary
- Long-term holder supply has fallen by roughly 210,000 bitcoin, from nearly 15 million BTC to approximately 14.7 million BTC.
- The movement comes with bitcoin almost 50% below its record high, unlike previous distribution waves near market peaks.
- The movement is linked to the Coldcard incident, with users transferring bitcoin to newly generated wallets or regulated custody services.
The fallout from the Coldcard security breach is now surfacing on-chain.
According to Glassnode data, roughly 210,000 BTC have moved out of long-term holder (LTH) wallets over the past week, the largest decline since December 2024, when bitcoin approached $100,000 for the first time.
Glassnode classifies long-term holders, or LTHs, as entities whose coins have remained dormant for approximately 155 days, or just over five months. This cohort is often considered the markets “smart money” because its members tend to hold through short-term volatility.
Long-term holder supply now stands at approximately 14.7 million BTC. Before the Coldcard incident, it was just under 15 million BTC, close to an all-time high.
Historically, heavy spending by long-term holders has coincided with periods of market strength or tops. Similar waves of distribution occurred around the market peaks of March 2021, March 2024 and December 2024, as experienced holders took profits into rising demand.
This time, however, the movement is occurring near the lows. Bitcoin is trading around $64,000, roughly 50% below its October all-time high.