Litecoin Breaks Another Record: HODLers On Network Now Exceed 5 Million

On-chain data shows Litecoin has reached another milestone as the total number of HODLers on the network now exceeds five million.

Litecoin Long-Term Holders Have Continued To Rise In Number Recently

According to data from the market intelligence platform IntoTheBlock, LTC has seen its long-term holder count hit a new record this week. The firm defines “long-term holders” (LTHs) or HODLers as investors holding onto their coins since at least one year ago. Note that this cutoff for the LTHs differs from what some other analytics platforms use, usually around five to six months.

The chart below shows how the number of addresses owned by these LTH HODLers has changed over the past few years.

Litecoin HODLers

As displayed in the above graph, the Litecoin HODLer count has significantly increased during this period. Since the start of last year, in particular, the indicator has seen exponential growth.

Following this sharp rise, the number of addresses carrying coins since at least one year ago has now broken the five million mark, a new record for the cryptocurrency.

Interestingly, while the LTHs have grown in number during this period, the cryptocurrency price has mostly struggled. This shows that despite the poor price action, there has been growing confidence among a subset of holders who believe that the asset would be a profitable investment in the long term.

This is naturally a positive development for the cryptocurrency, as more LTHs mean more supply that’s locked inside the wallets of these resolute hands, which in turn implies a lesser possibility of selling occurring in the market.

LTC Price Has Continued To Struggle Recently

Since Litecoin finished its plunge in mid-August, its price has only moved sideways. When writing, the cryptocurrency is trading at around $63.

Litecoin Price Chart

While the Litecoin HODLers only going up in number through this slide since July is a constructive sign for the asset, it may not mean much in the short term.

Where the LTC price could go next from here depends on several factors, one of which could be on-chain resistance and support levels. IntoTheBlock has shared the concentration of the investors at the different LTC cost basis price ranges.

Litecoin Profit/Loss

The “cost basis” here refers to the price at which the investors bought their coins. In the above data, the dot for the $64.9 to $69.29 range, for instance, represents the percentage of Litecoin investors who bought at prices lying inside this range.

Generally, when the price surges to cost basis levels with a high amount of investor concentration, there is a chance that the asset could feel some resistance. This is because these investors, previously in losses, come into the green with the surge, which may entice them to sell and exit the market.

The range ahead of the current one looks to be not that concentrated with holders, which may mean that Litecoin wouldn’t find too much resistance if a surge toward the $69 mark has to happen. However, there are notable percentages of holders in the following few price ranges, making a further surge difficult.

Bitcoin Spot ETFs: Research Firm Predicts Inflows Over 70,000 BTC, This Price Target

In a recent series of tweets, Vetle Lunde, Senior Analyst at K33 Research, delved deep into the potential ramifications of the US Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETFs. Lunde’s analysis suggests that the broader market might be significantly underestimating the transformative power of these financial instruments.

Lunde’s assertion is rooted in five core reasons. He began with a bold proclamation: “The market is wrong – and dramatically underestimates the impact of US BTC ETFs (and ETH futures-based ETFs).”

Why The Market Is Wrong On Bitcoin

Firstly, Lunde believes that the current climate is ripe for the approval of US spot ETFs, suggesting that the odds have never been more favorable. As NewsBTC reported, Bloomberg experts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart recently raised their Bitcoin spot ETF approval odds following the Grayscale judgment to 75% this year, 95% by the end of 2024.

Secondly, Lunde pointed out that BTC price has retraced to pre-BlackRock announcement levels. The third reason revolves around the potential competition and the simultaneous launches of multiple US spot ETFs. Lunde anticipates that these, if approved, could lead to robust inflows, potentially surpassing the initial trading days of both BITO and Purpose.

For context, he highlighted that Purpose saw inflows of 11,141 BTC, and in its wake, subsequent ETF launches in Canada resulted in a whopping 58,000 BTC worth of inflows within a mere four months. Given the vastness of the US market compared to Canada, the inflow potential is considerably higher.

The fourth reason Lunde presented is based on historical data from the past four years. He emphasized a noticeable correlation between strong BTC investment vehicle inflows and appreciating BTC prices. This relationship becomes even more pronounced during periods of extreme inflows, which have historically contributed to significant market uplifts.

The last crucial point for Lunde is that on August 17 the market got rid of from excess leverage, as NewsBTC reported.

By The Numbers

In conclusion, the research firm posits that US BTC spot ETFs could see at least 30,000 BTC worth of inflows in their first 10 days. Over a span of four months, the combined inflows into BTC investment vehicles could range between 70,000 to 100,000 BTC, driven by US spot ETFs and growing inflows to ETPs in other countries.

Based on these flow assumptions and data from the past four years, Lunde suggests a potential 66% BTC rally, targeting a price of $42,000. However, he also cautioned that this projection is based on a “naïve assumption” and doesn’t account for other market-moving events.

Bitcoin price prediction

At press time, BTC traded at $25,865.

Bitcoin price

XLM Surges With 10% Rally – Can The Recovery Hold Its Ground?

Stellar (XLM) has experienced a robust resurgence, bouncing off a crucial support level at $0.11. Chart indicators are pointing towards a promising outlook for bullish investors, marking a significant shift in momentum since mid-August. This second rebound from the same support level underscores the formidable strength exhibited by bulls, hinting at the potential for further gains.

A price analysis notes that the $0.11 support level has emerged as a steadfast defense line for XLM enthusiasts. Recent price action has illustrated that bears would need to work diligently to flip this level in their favor, extending the bearish momentum. 

However, the bulls have displayed unwavering determination, as evidenced by the latest retest of the support on Sept. 4, which triggered a notable price pump.

As of the latest data, XLM is trading at $0.124 according to CoinGecko, reflecting a 2% rally over the past 24 hours and an impressive 10% surge in the last seven days. These gains are indicative of growing optimism among XLM investors.

XLM Chart Indicators Favor Bulls

The on-chain indicators are aligning with the bullish sentiment surrounding XLM. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers around the neutral 50 mark, suggesting a healthy demand for XLM.

Additionally, the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) stands at +0.10, indicating an influx of capital into XLM. This influx is typically a bullish sign, pointing towards the growing confidence among investors in the cryptocurrency.

Despite the resurging optimism, XLM faces a battleground in the long/short ratio on exchanges. The tight margins indicate that sellers are actively trying to thwart the bullish rally.

While long positions are inching closer to the critical 50% flip point of the long/short ratio, sellers currently maintain the upper hand, exerting pressure on XLM’s upward trajectory.

What Lies Ahead For XLM?

With the $0.11 support level proving to be a formidable stronghold for bulls and chart indicators hinting at further gains, XLM enthusiasts are eyeing a target range of $0.17 to $0.19, aiming to revisit the highs last seen in July.

The crypto market remains dynamic and volatile, so investors should remain vigilant and stay tuned for developments that could impact XLM’s price trajectory.

XLM has staged an impressive rebound, bolstered by strong support and positive chart indicators. While challenges persist in the form of bearish resistance in the long/short ratio, the bullish momentum remains intact, with investors setting their sights on recapturing the July highs. The cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, and XLM’s resurgence is a testament to its resilience in the face of market fluctuations.

(This site’s content should not be construed as investment advice. Investing involves risk. When you invest, your capital is subject to risk).

Featured image from Stellar

Cardano Whales Sell 1.02 Billion ADA, More Pain Ahead?

On-chain data shows the Cardano whales have sold more than a billion ADA during the past week, a sign that pain may not be over for the asset yet.

Cardano Whales Have Participated In Some Distribution Recently

Cardano didn’t have the best time in August, as the cryptocurrency registered a more than 18% drop. This new month of September hasn’t been any better for ADA, as the asset has only continued to struggle sideways around its lows so far.

At present, the asset is trading just under the $0.26 level. The chart below displays the recent price action in the cryptocurrency.

Cardano Price Chart

Cardano’s flat returns over the past week aren’t anything different from what has been happening in the wider sector, as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) have also been similarly stale recently.

That said, a bearish signal exclusive to the asset appears to have emerged, as Ali, an analyst on X, has pointed out in a new post. According to on-chain data, the ADA whales have participated in a selloff over the past week.

Cardano Whale Selloff

The above chart shows the trend in the combined supply of the Cardano investors holding at least 10 million and at most 100 million ADA in their wallets. At the current exchange rate, this range converts to about $2.6 million at the lower end and $26 million at the upper bound.

The holders of this vast amount of the token are called “whales.” Due to their massive holdings, they are among the most influential entities on the network. The graph shows that these large investors have seen their holdings go down sharply recently.

This ADA holder group has distributed a net amount of 1.02 billion ADA (worth around $260 million) in this latest selloff, which is a pretty significant figure.

The whales shaving off their supply is naturally not a positive sign for the cryptocurrency, as it suggests that some of these humongous holders don’t think the asset will recover shortly, so they are cutting their losses and exiting the coin.

ADA Continues To Be 7th Largest Coin In Sector

Despite its decline, Cardano is still the seventh-largest asset in the cryptocurrency sector in terms of market cap, as the table below shows.

Cardano Market Cap

However, the gap between ADA and the 8th place Dogecoin (DOGE) is down to less than $100 million now, meaning that the asset is at risk of dropping down from its spot.

Unless things change fast for Cardano, it may be inevitable that the cryptocurrency would slip below the memecoin shortly, given the bearish movement from the whales.