Mt. Gox Bitcoin Distribution: Creditors Opt for Long-Term Holding

• Mt. Gox creditors finally start receiving payments.
• Massive Bitcoin distribution doesn’t tank the market.
• Long-term holders remain strong, defying sell-off predictions.

Mt. Gox creditors are finally receiving some of the bitcoin recovered from the infamous exchange hack after over ten years of legal proceedings. Out of the total 142,000 BTC recovered, 59,000 BTC have been distributed so far via Kraken and Bitstamp exchanges.

This event marks a historic moment for the Bitcoin community and the creditors who opted for reimbursement in BTC rather than fiat currency. It also provides closure for those who waited over a decade for resolution. Mt. Gox was once the largest Bitcoin exchange, and its collapse had a profound impact on the market. The final distribution represents a symbolic end to a long and tumultuous chapter.

Notably, the size of this distribution dwarfs other significant market events over the past two months, including ETF inflows, miner issuance, and the German government’s sell-off. According to market experts, the creditors’ choice to receive BTC was a novel approach in Japanese bankruptcy law, reflecting their confidence in the cryptocurrency’s long-term value.

Despite the massive distribution, there has not been significant sell-side pressure. Delving deeper, Glassnode’s analysis reveals that the long-term holder’s (LTH) are maintaining relatively stable distribution pressure. Currently, these investor groups hold 45% of the network wealth, a figure unusually high compared to previous market peaks. This suggests seasoned investors are choosing to hold rather than sell, anticipating Bitcoin’s value to rise further.

Moreover, Bitcoin’s price has remained relatively stable, trading between $66,000 and $68,000 during the Mt. Gox distribution. This stability demonstrates the token’s resilience and lighter-than-expected sell-side pressure.

Analyzing the spot cumulative volume delta (CVD) metric for Kraken and Bitstamp shows only a slight increase in sell-side pressure, well within normal day-to-day ranges. This corroborates the general belief that many creditors are behaving like long-term holders, despite the substantial price increases since 2013.

Intriguingly, Bitcoin bull markets typically exacerbate sell-side pressure as higher prices incentivize profit-taking. However, recent on-chain metrics indicate a return to “hodling” behavior, with long-term investors maintaining a significant portion of network wealth. This trend underscores a robust holding mentality among Bitcoin investors, suggesting the market may be poised for stability and growth in the near term.