Long-Term Bitcoin Holders Are Moving Coins—Further Sell-Off Incoming?

Bitcoin faced a notable sell pressure earlier today, with its price trading as low as $74,604. However, at the time of writing, the asset is seeing a quiet rebound with prices now hovering back above $79,000.

Regardless of this slight uptick, the asset is still down by 3.1% in the past day and nearly 30% from its peak above $109,000 registered in January. According to CryptoQuant contributor IT Tech, a significant shift may be underway.

In a recent analysis titled “Massive spike in Exchange Inflow CDD signals old coins are waking up,” IT Tech noted a considerable surge in the Exchange Inflow Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) metric. CDD measures the movement of older coins—those that have not changed hands for a long time.

When coins with high coin days are moved, it often indicates that long-term holders are transferring their assets to exchanges, potentially with the intent to sell.

Historically, spikes in Exchange Inflow CDD have preceded large price corrections. IT Tech highlighted that the latest surge in this metric coincided with Bitcoin’s drop from $82,000 to $76,000, suggesting that some veteran holders may be preparing to liquidate their positions.

Such behavior tends to exert additional sell pressure on the market, particularly during already volatile conditions. These movements could indicate an inflection point, with older investors potentially looking to secure profits amid broader market uncertainty. If this trend continues, it could serve as a bearish signal, as coins dormant for months or years re-enter circulation.

Meanwhile, in a separate analysis, another CryptoQuant analyst BilalHuseynov offered insights into short-term holder behavior through the lens of realized price data.

In a post titled “Bitcoin: Realized Price – UTXO Age Bands,” the analyst examined how the realized prices for coins held by short-term investors—specifically those held for one week to one month and one to three months—can reveal the health of the ongoing market trend.

These UTXO age bands help determine whether recent buyers are holding in profit or loss. In bullish phases, these bands trend upwards, signaling accumulation. However, at market tops, the lines tend to flatten or decline, indicating distribution by short-term participants.

According to Huseynov, this is what the current data reflects. The 1-month to 3-month realized price is curving downward, echoing patterns seen at previous peaks in April and November 2021, and more recently in March 2025.

If this trend persists, it could mean that newer holders are facing losses and may soon capitulate, possibly leading to further downside. Conversely, during past bear cycles, these bands have often marked bottom zones where prices found support and reversed.

Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart from TradingView