Bitcoin’s Short-Term Supply Surge Defies the Norm — Here’s Why It’s Bearish
Since the short squeeze in mid-December, Bitcoin has yet to make any significant price gain, facing multiple rejections at the $90,000 price zone. The maiden cryptocurrency is presently consolidating within the $87,000, while investors patiently anticipate a clear market direction. According to pseudonymous analyst Sunny Mom, recent on-chain analysis suggests that bearish sentiment will remain dominant in the coming months following the initial extended correction in October and November.
Why Rising Short-Term Bitcoin Supply Is Flashing A Rare Bearish Signal
In a QuickTake post on December 27, Sunny Mom draws attention to the BTC HODL waves, which show the rising share of short-term holders coinciding with falling prices, flipping a metric that typically supports bullish narratives. Historically, an increase in short-term holder (STH) supply, coins held for less than 155 days, suggests fresh capital is entering the market ahead of sustained rallies. However, the analyst described the current move as “passive bag-holding” rather than signaling “new blood.”
This is because investors who bought during the $120,000 rally in October, driven by FOMO, alongside dip buyers in November, now sit on unrealized losses, thereby creating a price setup that alters market behavior. Sunny Mom explains that each relief rally is met with selling pressure as these holders attempt to exit at breakeven, effectively turning the expanding STH cohort into a ceiling rather than a floor. Therefore, price rebounds struggle to gain traction.
Source: CryptoQuant
The renowned analyst explains that the market is witnessing an emotional toll that is growing visibly on-chain. Notably, there have been repeated spikes in Net Realized Loss (NRL) since October liquidations, suggesting that capitulation is underway, with investors locking in losses after months of endurance. Sunny Mom describes the process as a “dull knife” finally cutting deep, an indication that weaker hands are being forced out, not through a single crash, but through prolonged exhaustion.
Bitcoin In Demand Vacuum As Likely Fall Below $80,000 Remains Active
In further analysis, Mom attributes the current bearish setup to a demand vacuum. The market expert explains that exchange reserves are sitting near multi-year lows, signaling limited immediate sell-side liquidity. At the same time, long-term holders (LTHs) show little interest in distributing coins, reinforcing the view that conviction capital remains intact.
Therefore, the problem lies on the demand side. With macro uncertainty still elevated, new buyers appear hesitant to step in, creating a demand vacuum. This also creates thin order books, meaning even modest sell pressure can push prices sharply lower.
While some market watchers target a potential recovery in Q1 2026, citing expectations of rate cuts and improved global liquidity. Mom predicts Bitcoin may need a “final shakeout” to resolve the imbalance and reset the market for a bullish breakout. The analyst points to a potential move below $80,000 as a liquidity hunt that could flush remaining weak hands and allow larger holders to reaccumulate.
BTC trading at $87,802 on the daily chart | Source:
BTCUSDT chart on Tradingview.com
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
VIPTradFi Focus: Where Does the RWA Market Stand Today?
1. Crypto outperformed traditional equity indexes following the rate hike, but elevated interest rates remain a key constraint on cross-asset allocation. From September 12 to 18, BTC, ETH, and SOL gained 4.83%, 3.84%, and 9.96%, respectively, while the S&P 500 edged down 0.08%. The U.S. Dollar Index rose 1.11%, and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield closed at approximately 4.998%. Improving risk appetite is therefore coexisting with elevated discount rates, raising the bar for RWA allocation: investors need to compare not only returns on the underlying assets, but also on-chain liquidity and collateral efficiency. 2. Growth in tokenized equities is occurring even as the overall RWA market remains under pressure. As of September 18, Distributed Asset Value across RWAs stood at $38.503 billion, down 1.13% week over week, while tokenized equities reached $3.056 billion, up 6.03%. This week's data are better explained by capital reallocating across different RWA segments than by a broad-based expansion of the entire RWA market. 3. For exchanges, the opportunity lies in connecting spot holdings, collateral, and derivatives. Reality's distributed asset value stands at approximately $155 million, while eligible rTokens can already be used within Bitget's UTA margin framework. Across CoinGlass's verifiable sample of 177 TradFi instruments, open interest reached approximately $11.498 billion, up 2.06% week over week, even as weekly trading volume declined 7.60%. The medium-term opportunity remains intact, but deeper utilization will depend on liquidity, collateral use, and sustained trading activity. 4.Assets to watch: BTC, ETH, SOL, NEAR, ZEC, gold, tokenized U.S. equities, COST. 5.Key metrics to watch: rToken collateral utilization, the durability of TradFi open interest and trading volume, and next week's employment and consumer data.

Gold prices fall Rs 1,331/10 gram, silver dips Rs 1,600/kg as Mideast tensions outweigh oil fall: Key levels to track
Strategists Say Market's ‘Wall of Worry' Is Healthy, Not a Warning Sign

Canadian Dollar seems vulnerable near August 7 low amid sliding oil prices, trade tensions
