Bitcoin (BTC) saw a sharp decline in millionaire addresses during the first half of 2026, with the number of wallets holding at least $1 million falling by 26,653, or 18%. This drop came as BTC’s price declined from $88,700 on January 1, 2026, to $58,315 on June 30, 2026, a decrease of approximately 34.2%, according to Finbold’s H1 2026 Cryptocurrency Market Report.

The decline represents a sharp reversal from the same period in 2025, when Bitcoin added 26,758 millionaire addresses. In effect, Bitcoin erased almost the same number of millionaire addresses in the first half of 2026 as it gained during the first half of 2025.

Wealth Distribution Shifts

The largest decline occurred among addresses holding between $1 million and $10 million, which fell by 23,727, from 131,716 to 107,989. Meanwhile, addresses holding $10 million or more declined by 2,835, from 16,368 to 13,533.

Market Interpretation

Jordan Major, Chief Editor at Finbold, noted that the data shows how quickly Bitcoin’s on-chain wealth distribution can shift when prices fall. "This does not necessarily point to widespread selling, but rather a price-driven reclassification of wallets that were previously above the millionaire threshold," Major said.

Diana Paluteder, Head of Content at Finbold, emphasized that while the data is a useful market signal, it should be interpreted carefully. "A Bitcoin wallet does not always represent a single investor, and one entity can control multiple addresses," Paluteder said. "Still, the trend highlights how exposed mid-tier holders are to price volatility."

Finbold notes that Bitcoin address counts measure wallet balances rather than unique investors. A single individual, exchange, fund, or institution can control multiple Bitcoin wallet addresses, while one address can also represent pooled holdings.

Bitcoin is showing signs of capitulation as bearish sentiment intensifies, with the cryptocurrency's supply held at a loss reaching a record 10.83 million BTC. Analysts suggest the market may be entering a high-conviction accumulation zone after a rare signal historically associated with major cycle bottoms appeared. Despite the weakness, some argue that long-term investors are using the downturn to accumulate, while others debate whether the market is closer to a bottom or further decline.

Market Sentiment and Capital Flows

Anthony Pompliano highlighted growing pessimism across the crypto market during a Pomp podcast on June 22. He noted that many investors are questioning whether they are "bag holders with a dream but no reality." However, some market observers argue the current weakness has less to do with Bitcoin itself and more to do with capital chasing opportunities in artificial intelligence.

Michael Saylor stated that the AI boom is drawing investment away from Bitcoin and other asset classes. Investors are currently pursuing capital raises from companies like OpenAI, SpaceX, and Meta. Saylor expects this trend to reverse later this year, with profits from AI eventually flowing back into digital assets.

Rare Bottom Signal and Supply Dynamics

In an X post on June 30, crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez said 10.45 million BTC are currently being held at a loss, surpassing the 9.60 million BTC still in profit for the first time during the current market cycle. Similar crossovers have occurred only five times over Bitcoin’s 15-year history: 2011, 2014, 2018, the COVID-induced selloff in 2020, and now in June 2026. Martinez said the latest inversion suggests speculative excess has largely been flushed from the market and places Bitcoin inside a "high-conviction accumulation zone."

Scott Melker said in an X post on June 30 that the dominant market consensus remains that Bitcoin is headed significantly lower, but argued several independent indicators now resemble previous cycle lows. He pointed to confirmed weekly and daily bullish divergences, improving momentum despite depressed prices, and support around the 50-month moving average and the 200-week moving average. He also highlighted on-chain data showing the fastest whale accumulation on record.

ETFs and Long-Term Allocation

In an interview with Scott Melker on June 25, Bitwise's Ryan Rasmussen said Bitcoin’s latest drawdown below $60,000 has revived familiar "Bitcoin is dead" narratives. He stressed that similar moments have historically appeared near major cycle lows. Melker pointed to on-chain data showing that long-term holders now control 14.8 million coins. Rasmussen noted these kinds of metrics are "the types of signals you look for in crypto winters" to assess whether the market is approaching a bottom.

Rasmussen acknowledged that Strategy Inc. and Michael Saylor may no longer be able to buy Bitcoin at the same pace but said that was always expected as the asset matured. The next major source of demand, according to Rasmussen, is likely to come from exchange-traded funds and long-term allocation products. Commenting on the $6 billion in ETF outflows over the past 30 days, Rasmussen said "Rotations go around in a circle," and capital could return to crypto once momentum improves.

Technical Indicators and Price Targets

Technical analyst CryptoCon cautioned that historical cycle-bottom indicators have not yet reached levels seen during previous bear-market lows. According to CryptoCon, Bitcoin’s Realized Market Cap moving average model points toward a potential bottom around $42,500. This target implies a decline of roughly 66% from the cycle peak.

While bear markets are showing less severe percentage drawdowns—recorded at 86%, 84%, and 77% in previous cycles—the cycle-bottom data remains largely unchanged across cycles.

Miner Capitulation and Momentum

Veteran investor Jordi Visser argues that Bitcoin remains in a bear market, citing weak momentum and its position below key long-term moving averages. He noted that capital is currently flowing into AI and earnings-driven investments, making it difficult for Bitcoin to outperform.

Analyst Lark Davis pointed to on-chain data that suggests a potential Bitcoin bottom. He highlighted the Puell Multiple and signs of miner capitulation. Mining difficulty is down about 20% from its peak, and some miners are shifting resources to AI data centers. This shift may be easing selling pressure from miners, bringing Bitcoin closer to a cycle low.