Bitcoin network activity decline suggests longer bear market: Glassnode

cointelegraph.com:

With several on-chain metrics for Bitcoin (BTC) still in a bearish range, a continuation of the recent price recovery will require increased demand and fees spent over the network, says Glassnode. 

The assessment of mediocre market growth over the past week came from blockchain analysis firm Glassnode in its latest The Week On Chain report on August 1.

In it, analysts pointed to sideways growth in transactional demand, active Bitcoin addresses remaining in “a well defined downward channel,” and lower network fees as reasons to temper investors’ excitement about the 15% spike in BTC price over the past week. However, BTC is currently down 2% over the past 24 hours trading below $23,000 to $22,899 according to CoinGecko.

#Bitcoin and #Ethereum have rallied strongly off the bottom, reaching above the Realized Price.Attention now turns to whether this is a bear market rally, or whether the fundamentals are following through in support.Read more in The Week On-chain https://t.co/taOkbeVlyv

The report begins by highlighting the characteristics of a bear market which includes a decline in on-chain activity and a rotation from speculative investors to long-term holders. It suggests that the Bitcoin network is still demonstrating each of those traits.

Glassnode wrote that a decline in network activity can be interpreted as a lack of new demand for the network from speculative traders over long-term holders (LTHs) and investors who have a high level of conviction in the network’s technology. The report states:

In contrast to last week when a significant level of demand appeared to be established at the $20,000 level for BTC and creating a floor, the additional demand needed to sustain any further price increases is not observable.