Bitcoin Trapped Between Realized Prices: What’s Next for Market Sentiment?

Bitcoin Trapped Between Realized Prices: What’s Next for Market Sentiment?

As Bitcoin (BTC) continues its struggle to break out of its current price range, analysts look to realized prices to gauge future market sentiment. Currently, BTC is trading in a narrow corridor between the realized prices of short-term and long-term holders, according to a recent report by pseudonymous analyst SignalQuant.

The term “realized price” refers to the average price at which all Bitcoins have been moved over their lifetime. When the market price falls below the realized price, holders are generally in a losing position, and conversely, they stand to gain when the market price is above the realized price.

Data from Glassnode indicates that as of September 12, the realized price for short-term holders (STH) was $27,975. This price level was a support in January but became a resistance barrier as bearish sentiment took over. For long-term holders (LTH), the realized price was $22,400. Consequently, with BTC trading at a press time price of $25,956, it finds itself sandwiched between these two realized prices.

According to SignalQuant, for market sentiment to truly recover, “BTC’s price needs to stay above the LTH realized price and then break back above the STH realized price.” Doing so would signal the end of the bear market and likely pave the way for a bullish run.

Moreover, despite the resistance at the $26,000 mark, demand for BTC appears to be rising. On-chain data reveals a 5% increase in the daily creation of new addresses in the past week. September 9 saw 717,331 new addresses, marking the highest daily count in the past five years. Additionally, IntoTheBlock data showed an 11% surge in daily active addresses during the same timeframe.

Significantly, there has also been an uptick in higher-value transactions. BTC transactions between $10,000 and $100,000 have increased 8% over the last month. Whale transactions, valued between $100,000 and $1 million, have grown by 6% in the same period.

These factors may point to the market gearing up for a significant move. The looming question remains whether Bitcoin can break free from its current price constraints and signal a market recovery or continue trading in this financially claustrophobic space.