Glassnode's analysis suggests that for bitcoin to enter a 'sustained rally' phase, its realized profit/loss ratio (90d-sma) needs to rise and hold above 5. this is a critical liquidity indicator that historically precedes strong upside movements.
The analysis is based on data from glassnode, a highly reputable on-chain analytics firm. the news source emphasizes strict editorial policy, expert review, and focus on accuracy and impartiality.
Currently, the realized profit/loss ratio (90d-sma) has plummeted to less than 2 and its trajectory is still pointing down. while profit-taking is still dominant, it's significantly lower than the historical threshold of 5 required for a sustained rally, indicating weakened liquidity for a strong upward movement. the price is down 2.4% over the last seven days.
The analysis focuses on 'sustained rally' phases and utilizes a 90-day simple moving average (sma), indicating a long-term perspective on market cycles and liquidity conditions rather than short-term price fluctuations.
Reason to trust Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Created by industry experts and meticulously reviewed The highest standards in reporting and publishing How Our News is Made Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Ad discliamer Morbi pretium leo et nisl aliquam mollis. Quisque arcu lorem, ultricies quis pellentesque nec, ullamcorper eu odio. A report from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode has highlighted how transitions into strong upside phases have historically required liquidity to hold above a key threshold. Bitcoin Rally Could Require Realized Profit/Loss Ratio To Rise Above 5 In its latest weekly report , Glassnode has talked about liquidity conditions present on the Bitcoin network as the asset’s price has gone through a drawdown following its failed recovery attempt earlier in the month. Related Reading Bitcoin Death Cross That Last Preceded A 66% Drop Is Back 12 hours ago “Any meaningful transition back toward a sustained rally should objectively be reflected in liquidity-sensitive indicators such as the Realized Profit/Loss Ratio (90D-SMA),” explained the analytics firm. The Realized Profit/Loss Ratio refers to an indicator that, as its name suggests, compares the realized profit and loss that BTC investors realize from their transactions. When the value of this metric is greater than 1, it means the holders as a whole are realizing a higher amount of profit than loss. On the other hand, the indicator being under the threshold suggests loss-taking is dominant on the network. Naturally, if the Realized Profit/Loss Ratio is exactly equal to 1, the average holder can be assumed to be just breaking even on their selling, with profits and losses being harvested on the blockchain exactly canceling each other out. Now, here is a chart that shows the trend in the 90-day moving average (MA) of this Bitcoin indicator over the past decade: The value of the metric appears to have plummeted in recent months | Source: Glassnode’s The Week Onchain – Week 4, 2026 As displayed in the above graph, the 90-day MA Bitcoin Realized Profit/Loss Ratio hit a peak during the second half of 2025 as investors exited with gains in the bull run . Since this high, however, the indicator has seen a sharp decline. At the peak, the metric’s value reached close to 20, indicating profits outweighed losses by nearly 20 times, but recently, it has slipped all the way down to a level less than 2. Profit-taking is still dominant in the sector from the perspective of the indicator, but profits are less than double the losses now. According to Glassnode, transitions into strong upsides have historically required this metric to rise and hold above a value of 5. Currently, the metric’s trajectory is still pointing down, so it’s uncertain whether it will see any improvement in the near future and if it does, whether it will climb back above this threshold. Related Reading Bitcoin Supply In Loss Turns Upward—Early Bear Market Signal? 20 hours ago That said, twice in this cycle alone, Bitcoin liquidity has gone under this level and managed to return above it. Though in both of those instances, it found a bottom at levels noticeably above the current value. BTC Price At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $87,800, down 2.4% over the last seven days. The trend in the price of the coin over the last month | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com