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Illiquid Bitcoin Is Now Record 74% of BTC's Circulating Supply. That's Bullish

According to ETC Group, the new high is a sign that the halving-induced supply shock is intensifying.

Updated Sep 5, 2024, 4:30 p.m. Published Sep 4, 2024, 11:17 a.m.
BTC illiquid supply. (ETC Group, Glassnode)
BTC illiquid supply. (ETC Group, Glassnode)
  • The illiquid bitcoin has risen to a record high of 74% of the circulating supply.
  • The level reflects the increasing scarcity of BTC in the market and a potential bullish impact on its price.

Almost three-quarters of bitcoin produced is considered illiquid, a record level that suggests increasing scarcity of the cryptocurrency in the market and a potential bullish impact on its price.

Data tracked by ETC Group and Glassnode shows that illiquid entities now own 14.61 million BTC, worth over $826 million at current prices, equating to 74% of the cryptocurrency's total circulating supply of 19.75 million.

"Bitcoin's illiquid supply reached a new all-time high of almost 74% of circulating supply according to data provided by Glassnode, signaling that the Halving-induced supply shock is actually intensifying. This should provide an increasing tailwind for Bitcoin and other crypto assets over the coming months," André Dragosch, head of research at ETC Group, said in a report shared with CoinDesk.

Glassnode identifies illiquid entities based on the ratio of cumulative outflows and inflows over the entity's lifespan.

Increasing BTC scarcity in the market means a pick-up in demand could have an outsized bullish impact on the cryptocurrency's going market rate.

As of writing, BTC was changing hands at $56,600. The bull run has stalled since prices hit lifetime highs above $70,000 in the first quarter.

Omkar Godbole

Omkar Godbole is a Co-Managing Editor on CoinDesk's Markets team based in Mumbai, holds a masters degree in Finance and a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) member. Omkar previously worked at FXStreet, writing research on currency markets and as fundamental analyst at currency and commodities desk at Mumbai-based brokerage houses. Omkar holds small amounts of bitcoin, ether, BitTorrent, tron and dot.

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