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Bitcoin May Be Near Cycle Bottom as Most Supply Sits at a Loss

Summarized from Cointelegraph

Research firm K33 says more than half of Bitcoin's supply is underwater, a signal that has historically preceded major bottoms.

Bitcoin could be approaching a cyclical price floor, according to crypto research firm K33, which found that more than half of the cryptocurrency's circulating supply is currently being held at a loss — a rare threshold that has historically marked the final weeks before a market bottom.

K33's analysis shows this metric has appeared only a handful of times across previous Bitcoin market cycles, and in most instances, the digital asset posted strong one-year returns after crossing that threshold. The pattern suggests that widespread holder capitulation, while painful, has repeatedly served as a contrarian buy signal rather than a harbinger of further collapse.

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The broader context matters here: Bitcoin has faced persistent macro headwinds in 2025, including elevated interest rates, regulatory uncertainty, and risk-off sentiment across global markets. K33's findings offer a data-driven counterpoint to near-term pessimism, framing the current distribution of losses not as a warning sign but as a potential setup for recovery consistent with prior cycles.

Still, historical patterns in a relatively young and volatile asset class carry inherent limitations. No two market cycles are identical, and external macro shocks could delay or disrupt the recovery timeline that past data implies. Investors watching this metric will likely treat it as one input among many rather than a definitive signal.

The K33 report adds to a growing body of on-chain analysis suggesting that long-term Bitcoin holders have begun absorbing supply from capitulating short-term participants — a dynamic that, if prior cycles hold, could set the stage for the next sustained upward move. Continue reading at Cointelegraph.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What does it mean when more than half of Bitcoin's supply is held at a loss?

It means the majority of Bitcoin in circulation was purchased at prices higher than the current market price, indicating widespread unrealized losses among holders. K33 says this threshold has historically appeared near Bitcoin's cycle bottoms.

Q.What has happened to Bitcoin's price historically after this signal appears?

According to K33, Bitcoin has typically bottomed within weeks of more than half its supply being held at a loss, and in most prior cycles the asset has posted strong returns over the following year.

Q.Who is K33 and why does their Bitcoin analysis matter?

K33 is a crypto research firm that publishes on-chain and market cycle analysis for Bitcoin and other digital assets. Their historical data tracking supply-at-loss metrics across multiple Bitcoin cycles lends weight to their current findings.

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