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Bitcoin News Today: BTC Investors Sell at Losses for First Time Since October

By
Yashu Gola
Published: Jan 25, 2026, 14:14 GMT+00:00

Key Points:

  • Bitcoin investors are realizing losses again for the first time since October 2023.
  • About 69,000 BTC, worth roughly $6.1 billion, has been sold underwater since December.
  • Realized profits peaked in January 2024 and steadily weakened before losses returned.
Bitcoin bearish

Bitcoin (BTC) investors are selling at a loss again for the first time since October 2023, according to CryptoQuant data.

69,000 BTC Sold Underwater Since December

Since December, holders have realized about 69,000 BTC in losses, worth roughly $6.1 billion at current prices. It reflects that a meaningful number of investors have been selling underwater positions instead of selling into strength.

Bitcoin’s net realized profit/loss chart vs. price. Source: CryptoQuant

Unlike profit-taking, which often happens during rallies and can be absorbed, loss-realization suggets that traders are giving up on a position while anticipating further losses.

It can increase pressure during pullbacks because the selling is not coming from confident traders trimming gains, but from investors trying to limit their losses overall.

Profit-taking Faded for Months Before Losses Returned

CryptoQuant’s data further suggests this wasn’t a sudden switch.

Realized profits peaked in January 2024, then started making lower highs. That means each new wave of profit-taking was smaller than the one before it. Through 2025, those profit waves kept fading until the market finally tipped back into net loss-taking.

Bitcoin net realized profit/loss chart vs. price. Source: CryptoQuant

In the prior cycle, realized profits peaked in January 2021, then weakened through 2021. After that, realized losses started to show up as the market moved into the 2022 bear phase.

This does not prove Bitcoin is entering another 2022-style crash. But it does show a familiar pattern: first, fewer people are able or willing to take profits; later, more people are forced to sell at a loss.

Net Realized Profits Now Lowest Since March 2024

Bitcoin’s net realized profits have dropped to about 2.5 million BTC, the lowest level since March 2024, closer to what the market saw around March 2022, when the bear market was already in motion.

Bitcoin net realized profit/loss chart vs. price. Source: CryptoQuant

When fewer investors are sitting on big gains, the market can become more fragile. Small drops can feel bigger because more holders are closer to break-even, or already below it.

Analyst AlejandroBTC also highlighted how Bitcoin has been repeatedly failing to reclaim prior support, turning it into overhead supply.

BTC/USDT 12-hour price chart. Source: AlejandroBTC/TradingView

Each bounce is being sold sooner, which is typical when big holders use rallies to exit. Unless BTC breaks back above $100,000 and holds it, the path of least resistance remains down, with deeper support levels likely next.

About the Author

Yashu Gola is a crypto journalist and analyst with expertise in digital assets, blockchain, and macroeconomics. He provides in-depth market analysis, technical chart patterns, and insights on global economic impacts. His work bridges traditional finance and crypto, offering actionable advice and educational content. Passionate about blockchain's role in finance, he studies behavioral finance to predict memecoin trends.

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