In a stunning flip of occasions, the approval of spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has not yielded the anticipated fast upside influence on the Bitcoin worth.
Opposite to expectations inside the crypto group, BTC has skilled a pointy drop of over 16% because the ETF approval on Wednesday, January 11, dipping under the important thing $40,000 degree. The failure of BTC bulls to carry the assist degree has led to a testing section on the $38,000 degree, accompanied by a 4.5% worth drop inside the previous 24 hours.
Bitfinex Whales Buck The Pattern
Amidst the market volatility, in accordance to Datamish, Bitfinex whales have amassed Bitcoin lengthy positions since November 2023. This accumulation of roughly 4,230 BTC since January 17 marks the primary sustained improve in Bitfinex BTC lengthy positions following a sharp decline in November final yr.
Nevertheless, the latest downturn within the BTC worth might be partly attributed to elevated promoting stress from miners and asset supervisor Grayscale. Grayscale has notably elevated its BTC sell-off because the ETF buying and selling commenced.
Transferring a major quantity of BTC from the Grayscale Belief handle to Coinbase, totaling 69,994 BTC ($2.9 billion), has influenced the market dynamics.
Moreover, reviews point out substantial sell-offs of Grayscale’s Bitcoin Belief GBTC shares, together with a notable sale of twenty-two million GBTC shares by the FTX property, value practically $1 billion.
Bitcoin Liquidation Zones Wiped Off
The influence of Grayscale’s sell-off is clear in CoinGlass’ liquidation heatmap, which exhibits notable liquidation zones being wiped off within the 1-week chart.
Whereas Grayscale’s BTC dump has contributed to the worth drop, the elevated accumulation of BTC lengthy positions on Bitfinex signifies a possible change in sentiment. A worth reversal might happen if the $38,000 assist line holds, pushing BTC again above $40,000.

Moreover, excluding Grayscale, institutional buyers and asset managers concerned within the ETF market have collectively acquired over 86,320 BTC at a mean worth of $42,000, representing a considerable $3.63 billion funding.
Market specialists corresponding to Ali Martinez recommend that these establishments are prone to undertake a strategic, long-term view slightly than interact in peak purchases. This degree of institutional funding underscores the rising recognition of Bitcoin as a legit asset class and signifies confidence in its long-term development potential.
At the moment, the Bitcoin worth is at $38,800, reflecting a considerable year-to-date decline of over 12% and a 9.7% drop prior to now seven days. The length and extent of the promoting stress brought on by Grayscale’s BTC dump stay unsure, leaving the query of how a lot additional the BTC worth could decline.
Featured picture from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
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