Key Points
- Bitcoin’s average spot trading volume has dropped to October 2020 levels, indicating reduced market activity.
- Investors are currently holding onto their assets, resulting in a decline in trading volume and active addresses.
The consolidation of Bitcoin (BTC) is ongoing, leading to a significant decline in on-chain activities. This is according to Axel Adler, an analyst at CryptoQuant, who noted that the average spot trading volume on centralized exchanges has fallen to levels seen in October 2020.
Declining Trading Activity
This considerable drop implies that trading activity is dwindling, with speculation decreasing across the board. Consequently, user participation has seen a sharp decline, with Active Addresses falling significantly.
Over the last month, active users have dropped to a monthly low of 779.8K. This trend supports the notion that market demand is weak and interest in Bitcoin is waning. Historically, such market conditions often lead to either a strong breakout or prolonged consolidation.
Shift to HODL Mode
Currently, market participants are stepping back, awaiting the perfect momentum before re-engaging. Adler’s analysis suggests that the market has shifted into HODL mode, with few coins being sold on the spot or moved on-chain. This behavior indicates that investors are holding their assets, resisting short-term fluctuations, and demonstrating strong conviction.
The Mean Coin Dollar Age has surged to 18.03 million, reflecting this shift in market sentiment. A sustained increase in this metric suggests that coins are aging without being spent, indicating strong holding behavior. As a result, trading volume is declining, with investors keeping assets off exchanges.
Looking back at 2020, the market cooled when exchange volume dropped to similar levels, before rallying to a new high in 2021.
What’s Next for Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is currently in a quiet phase, with market participants showing indecision. Consequently, exchange activity has declined significantly, with the Fund Flow Ratio dropping sharply over the past week. Bitcoin is entering a low-volatility phase, where prices consolidate until a market trigger pushes movement up or down.
Historically, low trading activity has often preceded volatility expansion, especially after accumulation periods like the current one. If this historical cycle continues, Bitcoin is likely to trade sideways before breaking upward. In the short term, BTC could fluctuate between $104K and $107K, then push toward $109,208.
However, if market sentiment shifts from HODLing to selling, this bullish outlook would be invalidated, leading to a downside break. In that scenario, BTC may retrace to $101,500 amid sell pressure.
