This on-chain metric provides insight into how much pressure investors are under (or how deeply underwater they are) as they hold their Bitcoin at an unrealized loss. Hence, the Supply In Loss indicator, near unprecedented levels, is a signal of systemic fear and an impending shift in Bitcoin market dynamics.
Martinez noted that the flagship cryptocurrency formed major cycle bottoms in the past when more than 10 million BTC were held at a loss. According to Glassnode data highlighted by the analyst, Bitcoin has breached this threshold, with 10.46 million coins (more than half of the circulating supply) underwater.
As observed in the chart above, the Bitcoin price saw a bullish reversal in late 2018, as the supply in loss crossed this 10 million threshold. A similar pattern could be seen for BTC’s price when its Supply In Loss climbed to this mark around 2022.
Martinez explained:
I believe this is an important signal because selling pressure often begins to fade as fewer investors are willing to realize losses, increasing the probability of a market bottom forming.
Lower circulating supply could mean the Supply In Loss might edge slightly higher this time, suggesting the BTC price could see further downside. This was evident in 2015 (when the circulating supply was much lower), when the Supply In Loss didn’t reach the 10 million threshold before a bullish reversal.
Bitcoin Price At A GlanceAs of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $62,746, reflecting a 2.5% jump in the past 24 hours.
