BlackRock Buys $900M BTC as Long-Term Selling Hits 2017 Lows

BlackRock’s fresh round of Bitcoin (BTC) buying takes place alongside a sharp slowdown in long-term selling, a combination that points to cooling downside pressure after the recent market pullback in  Q4. 

Key takeaways:

• BlackRock added nearly $900 million worth of Bitcoin in the first week of January, rebuilding exposure after an end-of-2025 drawdown.

• Long-term Bitcoin holders are selling at their lowest rate since 2017, despite elevated prices.

• Onchain data pointed to a possible accumulation phase among certain wallet cohorts.

Data from Lookonchain indicated BlackRock has accumulated Bitcoin for the past three days, adding 9,619 BTC valued at roughly $878 million. The asset management company currently holds about 780,400 BTC, worth $70 billion.

BlackRock’s BTC holdings peaked on Nov. 30 at around 804,000 BTC. At the time, that position was valued at roughly $96.5 billion. Although holdings fell to 771,000 BTC by Jan. 1, BlackRock has swiftly added close to 9,000 BTC during the first week of January.

The institutional buying coincided with a notable shift among long-term holders. Bitcoin’s Exchange Inflow Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) metric on Binance has fallen to its lowest level since 2017, signaling that older coins are barely moving onto exchanges. 

For context, long-term holder supply dropped from over 15 million in July 2025 to 13.6 million in November 2025. Over the past couple of months, the long-term supply has not decreased further. 

Signs of BTC accumulation as recent sellers step aside

Onchain data from CryptoQuant helps explain this shift. The SOPR Ratio, which broadly compares whether recent buyers and long-term holders are selling at a profit or loss, has dropped to levels associated with market resets. Newer participants are selling at losses, while long-term holders remain profitable and largely inactive.

This pattern reflects a clean-up phase after sharp rallies, where speculative positions unwind, and coins change hands at lower prices. With Bitcoin down roughly 20% to 25% from its highs, this dynamic can mark the early stages of accumulation, provided selling pressure from recent buyers continues to drop.

Related: Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF could offer strategic value beyond inflows, analysts say

Bitcoin’s unrealized profit/loss data points to a reset

Bitcoin’s Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) added another layer of context. The metric currently sits near the 0.3 level, a zone that has historically marked transitions from recovery into more constructive market conditions. Holders, on average, are back in moderate profit, but the market remains far from the excess seen near major cycle tops.

This positioning suggests a cautious transition phase rather than a clear breakout. Confidence appears to be rebuilding, but broader confirmation on both onchain and market structure would be needed before a stronger move. 

Related: Bitcoin averages 100% return after down years: Will the pattern repeat in 2026?