Long-Term Bitcoin Holders Step Up Liquidations Amid Market Pressure

Long-term bitcoin (BTC) holders have recently increased their selling activity, adding bearish pressure to the market.

On Friday, these patient investors offloaded 97,000 BTC—roughly $3 billion—marking the largest single-day sell-off by long-term holders in 2025, according to blockchain analytics firm Glassnode. This surge accounted for most of the recent uptick in spending activity.

The 14-day moving average of coins spent by long-term holders has risen to nearly 25,000 BTC, the highest level since January. Glassnode defines long-term holders as addresses that have held BTC for more than 155 days.

Bitcoin’s price responded with a 3.7% drop to $108,000 on Friday, continuing downward to $107,400 early Monday. As of this writing, BTC trades around $103,330, down roughly 16% from its all-time high of $124,429, according to CoinDesk data.

Despite the spike, profit-taking remains slower than the intense outflows seen in late 2024.

Why long-term holders are taking profits
Many long-term holders—including wallets dormant for years—have been selling steadily since BTC surpassed $100,000 earlier this year. Investor psychology is likely a key factor: few assets globally trade at such high per-unit prices, making it natural for holders to lock in gains at this milestone.

This behavior suggests the market may need time to adjust to $100K as the new baseline for BTC. Broader trading ranges around the six-figure mark could persist, allowing investors to gradually acclimate to this elevated valuation.