Is Crypto Losing Steam? Bitcoin And Ethereum Addresses Shrink In 2024

The cryptocurrency market is presently experiencing a substantial decline, as both Bitcoin and Ethereum have experienced a substantial decrease in active addresses. This trend, which has persisted throughout 2024, has triggered apprehension regarding the future of these prominent cryptocurrencies. The implications for market dynamics could be profound as investor enthusiasm diminishes.

Declining Active Addresses

According to the latest stats from CryptoQuant, Bitcoin’s active addresses have contracted by about 1.17 million to 855,000, whereas Ethereum has reduced by about 382,000 to 312,000. This equates to a 27% drawdown for Bitcoin and an 18% decline for Ethereum year-to-date.

The absence of new investors entering the market appears to be the primary cause of this decline. This is essential for maintaining favorable momentum, as existing participants dominate trading activity in the absence of new capital inflows.

The anticipated excitement surrounding the approval of spot ETFs has not translated into increased activity on the blockchain. Still, the current user base carries a lot of investors who would have expected such developments. The continued quantitative tightening of the Federal Reserve continues to strip liquidity from the market, adding more pressure to the situation.

Market Sentiment And Future Prospects

There are, however indications that a potential rebound is near in the face of these challenges. For example, funding rate on Ethereum has remained positive for the past week, meaning there is growing interest among investors in long positions. This implies that whereas plunges in the price of Ethereum have been ongoing, a good majority of the market remains optimistic regarding its performance going forward.

It’s quite interesting that large Ethereum holders have been accumulating their assets, rather than selling them off. These large holders reduced their outflows from 311,950 to 139,390, suggesting they have confidence in the long-term prospects of the altcoin. Investors that do this kind of action usually expect the prices to recover soon.

Furthermore, Bitcoin’s Exchange Flow Multiple has experienced a substantial decline. This metric contrasts with short-term inflows and outflows with those over a lengthier period, indicating that current trading activity is significantly lower than historical averages. A low Exchange Flow Multiple typically suggests that investors are holding their assets in anticipation of future price increases rather than actively trading them.

The broader bitcoin market is negotiating a complicated terrain molded by geopolitics concerns and legislative changes. Recent occurrences have helped investors to be generally more cautious. For instance, despite market volatility causing Ethereum to tumble to about $2,390, Bitcoin has managed to remain constant above $61,100.

Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView