Bitcoin Long-Term Holders Accelerate Selling at Fastest Pace in Five Months

VADODARA, January 28, 2026 — Bitcoin long-term holders have intensified selling pressure, liquidating 143,000 BTC over the past month at the fastest pace since August 2025. This daily crypto analysis reveals a critical divergence from traditional safe-haven assets. According to Glassnode liquidity maps, this marks the most aggressive LTH distribution in five months.

Investigation: The LTH Liquidation Event

Glassnode on-chain data confirms long-term holders sold 143,000 BTC net over 30 days. These holders maintain positions for more than 155 days. Their accelerated selling began in late December 2025. Market structure suggests this represents profit-taking near cycle highs.

Consequently, Bitcoin displays relative weakness against gold and silver. Both metals trade near all-time highs. This divergence indicates cryptocurrency-specific headwinds. The selling pace exceeds any monthly distribution since the third quarter of 2025.

Market Context & Historical Precedent

Historically, LTH distribution precedes consolidation phases. Similar to the 2021 correction, accelerated selling often signals local tops. In contrast, the 2023-2024 accumulation phase saw minimal LTH outflow. Underlying this trend is a classic liquidity grab.

Market analysts note parallels to Q3 2025 behavior. That period preceded a 15% correction. Current metrics suggest potential range-bound trading ahead. The divergence from gold strength echoes 2018 market dynamics.

Related developments include recent Bitcoin price action breaking $90k amid technical divergence and WisdomTree's tokenized fund launch on Solana during market fear.

Technical Architecture & Price Action

Bitcoin currently trades at $89,958. The 24-hour trend shows a 2.56% decline. On-chain forensic data confirms supply overhang from LTH addresses. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) approaches oversold territory at 42.

Market structure suggests critical support at the Fibonacci 0.618 retracement level of $87,200. This level aligns with the 200-day moving average. A break below invalidates the current bullish structure. Volume profile indicates absorption near $90,000.

, UTXO age bands show maturation of 6-12 month holdings. This creates natural distribution pressure. The Fair Value Gap (FVG) between $92,500 and $94,000 remains unfilled. Order block analysis identifies $86,800 as a liquidity pool.

By The Numbers

Why It Matters

Long-term holder behavior serves as a leading indicator. Their distribution suggests profit-taking at perceived highs. Institutional liquidity cycles typically follow LTH signals. Retail market structure often reacts with a 2-3 week lag.

Real-world evidence shows correlation with ETF flow data. According to the SEC.gov filings, institutional products see reduced inflows during LTH selling phases. This creates a supply-demand imbalance. The current divergence from gold indicates crypto-specific risk repricing.

Expert Commentary

"The accelerated LTH selling represents a classic distribution phase. Market structure suggests we are testing the upper bounds of the current cycle. Historical patterns indicate such selling often precedes 3-6 month consolidation periods, similar to Q4 2021 behavior." — CoinMarketBuzz Intelligence Desk

Market Outlook & Price Scenarios

Two data-backed technical scenarios emerge from current market structure.

• Bullish Invalidation Level: $94,500. A break above this resistance confirms trend continuation and invalidates the bearish LTH signal.
• Bearish Invalidation Level: $87,200. A break below this Fibonacci support confirms distribution phase acceleration and targets $84,000.

The 12-month institutional outlook suggests range-bound trading between $85,000 and $95,000. This aligns with post-halving year historical patterns. The 5-year horizon remains intact if $87,200 holds as structural support.