Satoshi-Era Bitcoin Whales Slow Down Selling, What's Going On?

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available. Read U.TODAY on Google News Bitcoin rose above $97,000 for the first time since mid-November, as long-term holders are now selling more slowly. Advertisement According to on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant, OG Bitcoin activity has dropped sharply, suggesting that this class of Bitcoin holders has slowed down its selling. Bitcoin OGs refer to early adopters or investors, and in this scenario, CryptoQuant classifies them as holders whose coins have been dormant for more than five years. This includes Bitcoin whales from the Satoshi era, which refers to the period between 2010 and 2011, when Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto was still active in the crypto community. HOT Stories Morning Crypto Report: Don't Ignore This 9.69% Golden Cross Setup for XRP, Binance Burns $1.29 Billion in BNB Like Nothing, "$1 Million Bitcoin" Advocate Mow Predicts Decade-Long Bull Run Ripple CEO Optimistic About Crypto Market Structure Bill Crypto Market Review: XRP Market Anomalies, Ethereum at $3,300 Inflection Point, Shiba Inu Trillion-Unit Potential Kashkari: Crypto Is ‘Basically Useless’ Initially, a seven-year threshold was used, but Bitcoin's relatively young age (having launched in January 2009) makes five years a more reliable benchmark when comparing cycles. Advertisement OG Bitcoin activity has dropped sharply “This suggests that OGs have also slowed down their selling… The prevailing trend now seems to lean more toward holding rather than distribution.” – By @Darkfost_Coc pic.twitter.com/Ds6NRnpJpm — CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) January 15, 2026 According to CryptoQuant analysis, UTXOs spent by OG holders have declined. Bitcoin OGs have been extremely active during this cycle, CryptoQuant noted, with the amount of UTXOs spent significantly exceeding that of the previous cycle. Bitcoin's rise to six figures, reaching an all-time high above $126,000 last October and boosted by BTC institutional adoption, offered Bitcoin OGs a perfect window to sell in this cycle. Advertisement However, as the cycle progressed, OG selling during local tops has been steadily declining. The last STXO peak reached a 90-day average of around 2,300 BTC. Since then, this average has dropped significantly and is now around 1,000 BTC. Bitcoin hits two-month high Bitcoin surged past $95,000, reaching a two-month high of $97,963 on Wednesday. Bitcoin extended a four-day rise from Sunday's low of $90,109 on Wednesday, reaching an intraday high of $97,162 before declining. On-chain analytics platform Santiment stated that, in the last three days, there has been a net drop of 47,244 holders, indicating that retail had been dropping out due to FUD and impatience. The Bitcoin price bounce is also supported by a seven-month low in BTC supply on exchanges. The next target for Bitcoin is now at $100,000, given the rise past $95,000, a level that limited prices for much of the past two months, with less selling pressure from Bitcoin OGs supporting the case for a continued rally. #Bitcoin #Bitcoin Price #Bitcoin Price Prediction