Bitcoin HODLers Increase at a Record Pace: Santiment

Crypto market intelligence platform Santiment suggested that the number of bitcoin investors turning into long-term holders have been spiking recently.

In addition, Glassnode determined that more than 50% of all BTC in circulation has not moved in the past two years.

Almost 45 Million HODLers

As analyzed by Santiment, the total amount of individuals and entities holding bitcoin for the long run has soared to almost 45 million, and the numbers have been rising at the fastest rate since early 2021 (from January 2021 to April 2021). 

It is worth mentioning that BTC was in the midst of a bull run back then, starting the year at around $30,000 and soaring above $64,000 a few months later. By the end of April 2021, there were approximately 38 million HODLers, while currently, their number is heading toward 45 million.

Another chart indicating that many traders prefer to keep their stash untouched was presented by the crypto analysis platform Glassnode. It showed that an all-time high (53%) of bitcoin’s supply was last active more than two years ago.

Furthermore, almost 30% of all BTC in circulation (over $155 billion in market capitalization) has not moved in the last five years, while less than 15% was active a decade ago for the last time. 

Anthony Pompliano – an American entrepreneur and host of The Pomp Podcast – shared the data on his Twitter account and argued that over 2.7 million BTC are “lost, forgotten, or in the hands of the most disciplined investors in the world.”

The Bear Market Presented Opportunities

While the prolonged crypto winter caused significant damage to numerous organizations and triggered a severe market decline, it also offered investors the chance to increase their exposure to bitcoin at relatively lower costs.

As CryptoPotato recently reported, addresses containing over 1 BTC have climbed to nearly a million. The sharp increase occurred mainly between the summer of 2021 and the beginning of 2023. 

In fact, the figures skyrocketed shortly after the crash of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The number of addresses with more than 1 BTC was less than 927,000 on November 11 (when the platform filed for bankruptcy protection) and almost 970,000 a month later.

By the time of the meltdown, the leading digital asset dipped below $16,000. However, it seems like dedicated investors who have entered the ecosystem for the long term have viewed the event as a great chance to stack more sats.