Bitcoin net exchange reserves hit 2018 lows

Bitcoin whales have withdrawn over 8 million BTC from exchanges to their own wallets, with Shrimps also putting a significant amount of coins into illiquid supply.

Most investors are under water as a result of the recent market sell-off, but rather than sell, on-chain data shows hodlers are digging in. This even as the market gets rid of weak hands with prices hovering at the crucial $20,000 level after dipping to lows near $17,600.

According to on-chain analytics platform Glassnode, Bitcoin investors last week continued to pull their holdings off exchanges,

Per Glassnode, the risk-off sentiment has seen exchange outflows soar to -151k/month in June. It’s the highest rate at which investors have taken BTC off exchanges, with hodlers retreating to the safety of offline wallets as they look to ride the crypto winter.

Despite weak price-action through June, #Bitcoin has been withdrawn from exchanges at the most aggressive rate in history.

Total exchange outflows in June peak at -151k BTC/month, with Shrimp and Whales as main receivers.

Read more in The Week Onchain👇https://t.co/QpJfnHOopg pic.twitter.com/0XVyhz2xpx

— glassnode (@glassnode) July 5, 2022

Exchange reserves fall to 2018 levels

According to Glassnode, aggregate exchange reserves have fallen remarkably over the past year, with continued large scale withdrawals pushing exchange balances to levels last reached in July 2018.

“Overall balance on exchanges have seen an aggregate outflow of -750k BTC since March 2020. The last three months alone have seen some 142.5k BTC in outflows alone, a remarkable 18.8% of the total,” Glassnode wrote in its weekly report.

As exchange net reserves dwindle, Bitcoin’s illiquid supply has increased as investors relocate their coins to wallets. On-chain data shows illiquid supply has jumped by over 223,000 BTC in July, while whales alone have withdrawn over 8.69 million BTC from exchanges Glassnode tracks.

Per the platform, exchange outflows have increased since April to hit 140 BTC/month in June.

Bitcoin ‘tourists’ annihilated

Bitcoin price dropped to lows of $17,600 in June, with intensified selling after the collapse of LUNA and subsequent rot hitting several crypto companies. Combined with broader market negativity, selling activity had the most impact on “market tourists” – the weak hands.

“Bitcoin has locked in one of the worst monthly price performances in history, with prices trading down -37.9% in June. Bitcoin has seen a near complete expulsion of market tourists, leaving the resolve of HODLers as the last line standing,” the analytics platform noted in its report.

But the percentage of BTC supply in loss is around 48.1% for all coins held off exchanges.

The proportion of #Bitcoin supply in loss has hit 48.1% of all coins held outside exchanges.

Of these $BTC in loss, almost 60% of therm are held by Long-Term Holders (28.6% of total).

Both metrics are at similar levels to the Nov-Dec 2018, and March 2020 capitulation phases. pic.twitter.com/sCLnAWEQ1Y

— glassnode (@glassnode) July 5, 2022