Long-Term Holders Tighten Grip on Bitcoin—Could $170K Be the Next Target?

JPMorgan increased its $IBIT ETF exposure by 64% since June, reflecting steady institutional confidence amid short-term bearish retail sentiment.

On-chain data shows whales added 30,000 Bitcoin this week .Long-term holders now control a record portion of realized capitalization.

Bitcoin DeFi TVL surged past $8 billion, a sign of structural growth and expanding blockchain liquidity.

Bitcoin’s institutional investors, like JPMorgan, and major whales are steadily accumulating. This growing confidence despite short-term market caution and retail traders stepping aside could push the price up.

Institutional and Whale Accumulation Defies Bearish Sentiment

According to CryptosRus, retail traders have been exiting positions and anticipating lower prices, but the capital flow patterns contradict that narrative. JPMorgan, for instance, increased its exposure to the iShares Bitcoin Trust ($IBIT) ETF by 64% since June, reflecting growing institutional confidence.

Whale wallets also expanded their holdings, accumulating around 30,000 Bitcoin this week. This movement suggests that major investors view the current price range as a long-term accumulation zone. Long-term holders are now in control of a record share of Bitcoin’s realized value.

The ongoing redistribution of supply indicates a familiar market structure seen in previous cycles. As CryptosRus noted, capital continues to move from short-term traders to patient holders, a pattern that often precedes upward momentum.

UTXO Data and Realized Capitalization Reflect Maturing Market

A chart from CryptoQuant presents evidence of structural maturity within the network. The visualization demonstrates that coins held for over one year account for a rising portion of realized capitalization. This increase shows consistent accumulation by investors with longer time horizons.

The data also reveals that younger UTXO bands, particularly those under six months, fluctuate sharply during market volatility. These movements were caused by periods of profit-taking and short-term speculation

The steady growth of long-term holdings since 2018—rising from about $400 billion to nearly $1 trillion—shows stability. This reflects growing confidence in Bitcoin’s value preservation as experienced holders appear to dominate.

Technical Structure and DeFi Expansion Reinforce Bullish Outlook

At present, Bitcoin is sitting near an important support level. The Bitcoin price has bounced several times from support, and this is keeping the bullish pattern intact.

Past market patterns point to a possible rise if this trendline stays firm . DeFiLlama data shows a sharp jump in total value locked (TVL) in DeFi projects. TVL grew from under $1 billion to over $8 billion. This shows that the ecosystem is seeing strong growth and liquidity returning to the market.

Despite some recent swings, JPMorgan expects Bitcoin could climb to $170,000. The overall movement shows money flowing back into blockchain platforms

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