From FOMO to IPO: Bitcoin OGs Are Selling (And Why That’s Bullish)

When Bitcoin was born in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, it promised freedom from legacy finance.

It was a rebellion against central bank shenanigans, and, let’s be honest, a shot at outsized returns for those willing to take on epic risk.

Fast-forward to November 2025, and the Bitcoin news is something few ever anticipated. The original cypherpunk whales, who bought coins for the price of lunch money, are finally exiting the stage.

And rather than sending Bitcoin into a death spiral, their exits are proof that the number-one crypto has grown up. According to Wall Street macro investor Jordi Visser, it’s the end of FOMO and the beginning of an IPO.

Bitcoin News: Neither Boom nor Bust

Visser sketches out the current mood with surgical precision. Bitcoin, once known for heart-stopping volatility, is now grinding sideways just as tech stocks, gold, and the S&P 500 hit new highs.

By every traditional measure, we’re in a risk-on environment. And yet, “Bitcoin is doing… nothing.”

Sound familiar? Crypto Twitter is a chorus of frustrated traders asking why Bitcoin isn’t pumping alongside everything else.

The cognitive dissonance is palpable. ETFs have launched, institutional adoption is accelerating, and the regulatory dark cloud is clearing. Still, it’s sideways.

Bitcoin News Is Full of Frustrated Traders | Source: Will Clemente III on X

But this isn’t crypto winter. In Visser’s view, something more subtle and bullish is happening.

It’s a transition matching the patterns of a company digesting its IPO, as early backers cash out while new hands accumulate. He questions,

“What if Bitcoin isn’t broken, what if it’s finally having its Tradfi version of an IPO?”

The Methodical Exit

Unlike a Bitcoin news item filled with sudden capitulation or panic, the current selling is slow and careful.

Galaxy Digital’s recent $9 billion Bitcoin sale for a single client wasn’t some retail rug-pull, but a coordinated, institutional-sized exit.

The kind of selling that says ‘I’m done, time to move on,’ not ‘I’m scared.’ On-chain data agrees. Coins dormant for years, some since single-digit BTC days, are stirring.

The OGs who held through China bans, Mt. Gox, existential FUD, and endless regulatory scares are locking in generational wealth, finally able to sell without crashing the market.

For the first time, liquidity exists for whales to exit gracefully. Major ETFs supply the institutional bid; sovereign wealth funds, corporates, and millions of retail accounts can absorb what would once have been a market-moving wall of coins.

This patient distribution isn’t bearish. It’s the mature version of what happens after tech IPO lock-up periods. Stocks consolidate, early believers cash out, and price action irritates impatient latecomers.

“In a bear market, there are no buyers,” Visser reminds. But here, every dip is met with steady accumulation.

From Whale Concentration to Resilience

The impact on the Bitcoin news is profound. Bitcoin’s transformation from anarchic upstart, mostly owned by cypherpunks and rebels, to institutional portfolio staple is happening quietly, in plain sight.

When a handful of wallets held most of the supply, price swings were brutal. Now, as ownership fragments, Bitcoin evolves from fragile to antifragile.

It’s more capable of absorbing real capital, less prone to single-entity manipulation. Visser explains,

“A distributed holder base is what separates a speculative asset from a durable store of value.”

We’re not in a crash, we’re in an ownership transition. The volatility that created fortunes and heartbreak is giving way to stability.

And the kind institutional capital can trust, the kind that matters to pension funds and treasurers.

It’s Boring, and That’s Bullish

If you’re looking for 10x returns next quarter, this new era might disappoint. But for anyone seeking Bitcoin as a backbone of the future financial system, it’s fantastic news. As Visser puts it:

“Bitcoin survived long enough to become boring. It succeeded so thoroughly that the original believers can actually cash out.”

Nic Carter, veteran investor and analyst, captured the vibe:

“Crypto is boring because so many of the open questions have been answered… it means we won.”

The IPO lock-up has expired, the torch is passing, and sentiment is as grim as you’d expect. These are classic signs of the “sell-side” phase.

But the positive Bitcoin news? Once distribution is done, the market is structurally stronger, more resistant to shocks, and poised for institutional adoption at a truly global scale.

Accumulate, Don’t Capitulate

Bitcoin’s consolidation is not a failure; it’s a milestone. OG whales are getting their liquidity event, earned through years of risk.

What they leave behind is an asset more resilient, stable, and foundational than ever. So don’t mistake boredom for bearishness.

When the dust settles, this new distributed Bitcoin will prove to be the soundest monetary asset yet. And a graduation from wild speculation to a durable store of value.

Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2025/11/02/from-fomo-to-ipo-bitcoin-ogs-are-selling-and-why-thats-bullish/