Bitcoin exchanges supply has dropped to its lowest in 8 years, sparking hopes of a price recovery towards a new BTC all-time high.

According to a Mar. 27 post on X by blockchain analytics firm Santiment, Bitcoin’s (BTC) supply on exchanges has dropped to 7.53%, its lowest level since 2018. This implies that more investors are moving their Bitcoin into self-custody, which lowers the amount available for immediate selling. 

Because it signifies less short-term sell pressure and rising confidence among holders, a declining exchange supply is frequently interpreted as a bullish sign.

One of the main factors driving Bitcoin’s price movement has been institutional demand. Bitcoin exchange-traded funds have seen steady inflows since Mar. 14, which has caused BTC to rise more than 10%. In contrast, between Feb. 10 and Mar. 13, ETF inflows were negative to nearly stagnant, and Bitcoin dropped 17%.

This pattern shows the strong link between institutional buying and Bitcoin price trends, with large investors having a greater market impact than retail speculators.

Alongside the growing institutional demand, a Mar. 25 article published on OKX’s research page indicates that the market behavior of Bitcoin is also changing. Historically, a 50% drop was regarded as a bear market. In previous cycles, drops of up to 80% have been recorded.

But as Bitcoin has matured, extreme crashes brought about by panic selling have become less common. Now, a 30% decline is often enough to trigger bear market concerns. According to insights from the article, on-chain data suggests that instead of the prolonged declines of past cycles, Bitcoin might be going through a brief “mini” bear market.

An early indicator of this change was the Short-Term Holder Market Value to Realized Value ratio, which compares the current price of Bitcoin with the average price at which short-term holders purchased their coins. The metric displayed a bearish sentiment even before there were notable price drops on Feb. 25.

Now, it has fallen below the 365-day moving average, which is a critical level that usually signals more selling pressure. However, analysts anticipate that the metric will improve and lead to a relief rally as the amount of Bitcoin on exchanges declines. As of press time, Bitcoin is trading at $87,653, roughly 19% down from its peak of $108,786.