Bitcoin Hits New Highs While Retail Investors Sit on the Sidelines
Another all-time high for BTC—and yet the little guys still aren’t biting. Whales keep stacking, but Main Street’s wallets remain suspiciously quiet.
Where’s the FOMO? Maybe they’re too busy chasing ’sure thing’ altcoins that crash 30% overnight. Classic retail.
Meanwhile, institutional money floods in. The smart money knows: when retail finally jumps back in, that’s when things get really interesting.
On-chain signals show limited speculative heat
According to CryptoQuant Korea community manager crypto Dan, funding rates across major derivatives venues have risen but remain well below levels that preceded corrections in March 2024 and November 2024.
In a May 22 report, hethat futures open interest and liquidations also trail prior peaks, indicating modest use of leverage.
On-chain analysis of coin age supports that view. The share of BTC changing hands within one week to one month, often associated with momentum trading, has climbed only marginally despite the price record. Meanwhile, long-dormant coins continue to hold firm.
Crypto Dan added that whales logged fewer profit-taking transactions than during previous tops, signaling restrained selling pressure.
He also mentioned the US-traded spot Bitcoin ETFs, which recorded positive flows for eight consecutive sessions through May 21, bringing their collective holdings above 1.2 million BTC.
The steady bid and muted retail froth could indicate that price discovery may extend if risk appetite broadens.
