Bitcoin Supply In Loss Turns Up: A Potential Bear Market Signal

Bitcoin is trying to reclaim the $90,000 level as the market remains trapped in a phase of uncertainty and consolidation. After months of elevated volatility, price action has narrowed, reflecting hesitation from both buyers and sellers. This indecision has fueled a growing divide among analysts.

Some argue that Bitcoin is merely digesting prior gains, while others warn that the current structure points toward a continuation of the downtrend and a potentially bearish 2026. The lack of sustained upside momentum above key resistance levels has reinforced these concerns, especially as macro conditions remain fragile and risk appetite is uneven across global markets.

Adding weight to the cautious outlook, a recent CryptoQuant report highlights a notable shift in on-chain dynamics. Bitcoin’s Supply in Loss (%) has begun to trend upward again, a development that historically aligns with the early stages of bear markets.

In past cycles, this metric turned higher as price weakness persisted, signaling that losses were no longer confined to short-term traders but were gradually spreading to longer-term holders. This transition often marked a change in market psychology, from temporary pullbacks to more structural downturns.

Supply in Loss Turns Up, Raising Early Bear Market Concerns

In previous market cycles—2014, 2018, and 2022—the behavior of Bitcoin’s Supply in Loss (%) followed a consistent pattern. The metric began to trend upward well before the market reached its final bottom, while price continued to grind lower or remain under pressure. In each case, this early increase did not mark an immediate reversal.

Instead, it reflected a gradual expansion of unrealized losses across the market, as downside pressure extended beyond short-term traders and increasingly affected longer-term holders. True cycle bottoms only formed later, after Supply in Loss had risen substantially and broad capitulation had taken place.

At present, Supply in Loss remains well below those historical capitulation thresholds. From a purely quantitative perspective, this suggests the market has not yet reached a point of widespread distress. However, the importance lies less in the absolute level and more in the change in direction. The recent uptick indicates that losses are beginning to spread again, a condition that has historically coincided with transitions toward more defensive market regimes.

This shift challenges the narrative that the current weakness is merely a corrective pause within a broader bull trend. Instead, it raises the possibility that Bitcoin is entering a bear market structure, characterized by prolonged consolidation, repeated downside tests, and delayed recovery.

While this does not preclude short-term rebounds, the on-chain signal suggests that risks remain skewed to the downside until loss expansion either stabilizes or accelerates toward historical extremes, where durable bottoms have previously formed.

Bitcoin Testing Key Resistance Level

Bitcoin price action on this daily chart reflects a market stuck in consolidation after a sharp structural breakdown. Following the rejection near the $125,000 region in October, BTC entered a clear downtrend, marked by lower highs and lower lows. The aggressive sell-off into late November pushed price below the 50-day and 100-day moving averages, confirming a loss of bullish momentum and shifting market control toward sellers.

Since early December, Bitcoin has stabilized between roughly $85,000 and $92,000, forming a sideways range rather than an immediate continuation lower. This suggests that forced selling pressure has eased, but conviction remains limited.

The 50-day moving average (blue) continues to slope downward and currently caps upside attempts, while the 100-day (green) also trends lower, reinforcing overhead resistance in the $94,000–$96,000 zone. The 200-day moving average (red) remains well below the price near the mid-$70,000s, indicating that the broader cycle has not fully reset, despite the correction.

Selling volume peaked during the November breakdown but has since declined, signaling reduced participation rather than renewed demand. As long as BTC remains below the declining 50-day and 100-day averages, rallies are likely corrective. A sustained hold above $92,000 would be needed to improve short-term structure, while a breakdown below $85,000 would reopen downside risk.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com