From Sovereign Stress to Monetary Support: Bitcoin’s Breakout Setup

Monthly Bitcoin Macro Investor – June 2026
From Sovereign Stress to Monetary Support: Bitcoin’s Breakout Setup | Bitwise

This report is for professional investors and information purposes only. Retail customers should not rely on it. Not investment advice or a personal recommendation. Cryptoassets are high risk and volatile and you may lose all capital invested. Please see full risk information at the end of this document.

  • Performance: May 2026 saw bitcoin stage a mechanical recovery above $80k before stalling at the $80k–$85k bull-bear threshold and retracing to $72k on heavy ETP outflows and a sharp sentiment reset in the second half. While near-term price action remains fragile and macro-driven, the structural backdrop continues to firm, with long-term holder supply at all-time highs and bitcoin's MVRV valuation sitting below the levels currently observed for some other hard asset alternatives, such as US large-cap tech.
  • Macro: The macro backdrop is caught between a sovereign bond market flashing red - with Japanese yields surging, a $29 trillion refinancing wall looming, and the IMF warning that markets are "less forgiving" - and resilient equities supported by strong earnings and positive growth revisions. Bitcoin may stay under pressure near-term as restrictive real yields and Strategy's STRC headwinds weigh on demand, but a Fed pause under Warsh against rising inflation, or a sovereign bond capitulation forcing central bank intervention, could prove a upside catalyst given bitcoin's perceived role as a decentralised counterparty hedge on sovereign default risk.
  • On-Chain: The market is increasingly behaving like a system in stasis despite exogenous macroeconomic pressure. Investor demand has faded across nearly every major venue, while the supply side is becoming progressively more inert as coins age into stronger, less reactive hands. This creates a narrow and fragile equilibrium where available liquidity is thin and price has become compressed around the market’s current midpoint near the $78k–$80k region. With investor attention acutely low, the market likely requires a meaningful price move to re-engage capital and define whether this range resolves into renewed upside momentum or another leg of downside discovery.

Chart of the Month

Negative real rates tend to be a tailwind for Bitcoin Bitcoin vs Real Fed Funds Target Rate YoY
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
US Real Rates = Fed Funds Target Rate minus US CPI Inflation Rate

Performance

May 2026 was a tale of two halves for cryptoassets. The month opened with a vigorous recovery as bitcoin reclaimed the $80k mark, only to stall against a well-defined resistance cluster between $80k and $85k before sentiment and flows reversed sharply in the second half, leaving the market consolidating in a fragile but structurally constructive setup.

Early in the month, bitcoin crossed $80k for the first time since late January 2026. The move was largely mechanical, with short futures liquidations reaching approximately $42M over 24 hours and perpetual funding rates having been negative on 21 of 30 days in April, signalling excessive short positioning.

Global Bitcoin ETPs saw net inflows of +$166.5M. On-chain conditions improved meaningfully: Net Realized Profit/Loss flipped positive for the first time since late January, the sell-side risk ratio fell to its lowest level since October 2023, and long-term holders added approximately +125k BTC over the past month. The $80k–$81k zone, where the True Market Mean, short-term holder cost basis, and US spot Bitcoin ETF aggregate cost basis converge, was flagged as the critical “demarcation line” between bull and bear market.

The recovery extended further, with bitcoin outperforming both US equities and gold as major central banks kept rates unchanged despite rising inflation.

If this situation continues, it may provide a bullish macro backdrop for bitcoin as declining US real rates have historically been associated with bitcoin bull markets (Chart-of-the-month).

In mid-May, our in-house Cryptoasset Sentiment Index climbed to its highest reading in 12 months, with 13 of 15 indicators above their short-term trend, signalling stretched positioning and potential short-term buyer fatigue. CME Bitcoin Commercials Net Positioning compressed from -10.5% to -6.41% of open interest as short leverage unwound, providing a mechanical tailwind.

** The Cryptoasset Sentiment Index is a composite indicator consisting of 15 different sub-indicators covering sentiment, on-chain, derivatives, flows developments as well as sentiment in traditional financial markets. A 90-day rolling z-score is used to standardise and aggregate these sub-indicators.

Bitcoin rallied just under $83k on reports of possible progress toward a US–Iran de-escalation deal before reversing to a low of $72k. Attention also turned to the US CLARITY Act, with Polymarket odds for passage in 2026 rising to 75% ahead of the Senate Banking Committee mark-up on May 14th, a potential bullish catalyst given the prospect of greater regulatory clarity.

That constructive backdrop reversed in the second half of the month.

Bitcoin underperformed most traditional assets as global Bitcoin ETPs experienced -$1,031.8M in net outflows, and sentiment reset from elevated levels. The Cryptoasset Sentiment Index fell back to neutral after touching one of only seven extreme readings since its inception, and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index re-entered "fear" territory.

Despite the price weakness, the structural picture continued to firm: long-term holder supply reached a new all-time high at approximately 14.85M BTC (~74.3% of supply), reinforcing that "hodling" has become the dominant market mechanic, a redistribution pattern historically associated with late-stage bear markets.

Bitcoin retraced toward $72k after being rejected at the 200-day moving average near $82k, while the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act cleared the Senate Banking Committee on a 15–9 bipartisan vote.

Japanese JGB yields hit multi-decade highs, raising concerns about fiscal debt sustainability and the potential need for central bank intervention, a dynamic that could ultimately provide a tailwind for bitcoin via easier monetary conditions. Kevin Warsh, considered pro-bitcoin/pro-crypto, was also confirmed by the Senate to succeed Jerome Powell as the next Fed chair.

The month closed with bitcoin underperforming US equities while commodities sold off sharply amid signs of a renewed decline in geopolitical risks. Valuations moved to the centre of the debate, with the latest rebound in equities raising renewed concerns about a potential "bubble" in US equities.

In this context, bitcoin is still trading below its historical mean in terms of the market-value-to-realised-value (MVRV) ratio, the on-chain equivalent of a price-to-book multiple. Only 36% of bitcoin's historical MVRV observations were below the current reading, meaning bitcoin sits in the lower half of its historical distribution. By contrast, the price-to-book ratio of the NASDAQ 100 is trading near its highest level on record, with ~99% of historical observations below the current reading, one of the most extreme valuation divergences between bitcoin and US large-cap tech we have ever observed.

Bitcoin's already compressed valuations may provide some shock absorption in the event of further downside, whereas other hard asset alternatives, such as gold and US tech remain largely elevated in terms of valuations. Historically speaking, periods in which bitcoin has traded below iits mean MVRV value have tended to coincide with attractive forward returns.

Should the current concentration in US large-cap tech begin to unwind, bitcoin may stand to benefit from capital rotating out of stretched hard asset proxies into scarce, non-sovereign stores of value. That said, a potential correction in the NASDAQ 100 would most likely affect bitcoin negatively in the short term as well, given relatively high correlations.

  • Bottom Line: May 2026 saw bitcoin stage a mechanical recovery above $80k before stalling at the $80k–$85k bull-bear threshold and retracing to $72k on heavy ETP outflows and a sharp sentiment reset in the second half. While near-term price action remains fragile and macro-driven, the structural backdrop continues to firm, with long-term holder supply at all-time highs and bitcoin's MVRV valuation sitting below the levels currently observed for some other hard asset alternatives, such as US large-cap tech.
Cross Asset Performance (MtD) Cross Asset MtD Performance
Source: Bloomberg, Coinmarketcap; performances in USD except Bund Future
Cross Asset Performance (YtD) Cross Asset YtD Performance
Source: Bloomberg, Coinmarketcap; performances in USD except Bund Future

Macro Environment

The macro environment has been characterised by both bullish and bearish market signals.

While global equities have continued to make new all-time highs, sovereign bond yields have also continued to grind higher. In particular, Japanese bond yields have continued to make new record (30-year JGB yield) or multi-decade highs (10-year JGB yield) due to weak liquidity and ongoing capital flight by international investors which is evident in the continuous depreciation of the Yen.

It is quite likely that Japanese bond yields will continue to trend higher due to a combination of higher supply issuance of bonds and declining central bank (Bank of Japan) buying which remains a key risk scenario for risk assets like bitcoin in the short term.

In fact, the net supply of Japanese bonds is approaching 10% of GDP while other nation-states such as the US or UK are somewhat below that.

US, Japan & UK: sovereign bond net supply to the private sector Net Sovereign Bond Supply OE QT
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
Net of central bank QE/QT holdings, trailing 12-month change

In this context, both the IMF and OECD have recently sounded the alarm bell on a ‘debt refinancing wall' this year.

More specifically, governments and companies are set to borrow $29 trillion from bond markets in 2026 - 17% higher than 2024, and double the amount ten years ago. 78% of OECD government borrowing in 2026 will go just to refinance existing debt. What is more is that the IMF implied that there is an elevated probability for a bond market capitulation. "Markets are becoming less forgiving" - investors are "increasingly questioning assumptions of unlimited sovereign borrowing capacity, even for large advanced economies."

This is essentially institutional language for "the bid is conditional now."

From our point-of-view, the Japanese bond market is particularly vulnerbale which is evident in the steep rise in bond yields. Moreover, the Japanese bond market is of particular importance for several reasons:

  • The Japanese JGB market is the second biggest sovereign bond market in the world after the US Treasury market (~$7.5 trillion market cap).
  • Japanese investors are the biggest holder of US Treasury bonds in large part due to the ‘Yen Carry Trade' (~$1.2 trillion in US Treasury holdings)
  • Japan has one of the highest fiscal debt-to-GDP ratios in the world (~230% of GDP)

Higher domestic bond yields in Japan make US Treasury yields and others – everything else equal – less attractive. In fact, at the time of writing this report at the end of May, 10-year Japanese bond yields are at 2.78% while Yen-hedged 10-year US Treasury yields are only at 2.19%. This relative spread is increasingly a risk for the infamous ‘Yen Carry Trade' and a may lead to a reptriation of Japanese capital from US Treasuries and other international bond markets.

30-year US Treasury yields have recently climbed to the highest level since 2007 as well and US 10-year Treasury yields are close to breaching their cycle highs (of around 5%) reached in mid-2023.

In general, sovereign risks remain relatively elevated with 10-year swap spreads – a measure of sovereign risk premia – at their highest level since the Euro crisis in 2011/12 across major sovereign bonds:

Swap spreads have increased significantly signalling increasing sovereign risks US France UK Japan 10yr Swap Spreads
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe

We think that a capitulation in the sovereign bond market may provide a significant upside catalyst for bitcoin and cryptoassets, especially if major central banks would be forced to intervene and provide liquidity to safeguard financial stability.

In this context, Japanese JGBs, UK Gilts, and French OATs appear to be most vulnerable as these government securities exhibit the lowest liquidity among major sovereign bonds.

Japanese, British, and French sovereign bonds are currently the most illiquid Govt Liquidity Index
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe; Higher values = less liquid / more illiquid

Historically speaking, although bitcoin tends to be an inferior equity risk hedge relative to gold, it has outperformed gold as US sovereign bond hedge in the past.

More specifically, from a quantiative point-of-view, bitcoin exhibits a lower historical correlation to US Treasury bonds than gold and also outperformed gold during Treasury down days, i.e. when US Treasury bonds generated a negative performance – a phenomenon we call the ‘Bitcoin-Bond-Condrum'.

Rolling correlation: 10yr UST Future Rolling Correlation 60 BTC Gold UST
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe

Moreover, bitcoin can be considered a Credit Default Swaps (CDS) on sovereign bonds since there is no central issuer and the network is decentralised.

In fact, a theoretical model first proposed by Foss (2021), suggests bitcoin's ‘fair value' is approximately ~$224k already today if adopted as "portfolio insurance" for G20 sovereign defaults. Note that this is a model-implied illustrative figure, not a price target or forecast.

Model: Bitcoin's 'fair value' as sovereign default hedge is significantly higher than today Bitcoin CDS Model Fair Value
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe br>'Fair value' based on a sovereign default model for G20 sovereigns
Greg Foss (2021); Data per 2026-05-15

Based on this model, bitcoin's ‘fair value' as a sovereign default hedge is dependent on the weighted default probability and the market cap of the ‘insured' sovereign bonds.

That said, higher bond yields and tighter financial conditions may also affect bitcoin negatively in the short-term as it affects one of the key institutional buyers – Strategy. Higher global bond yields tend to make Strategy's STRC perpetual preferred equity dividends less attractive – which has been a key engine of Strategy's most recent bitcoin purchases.

In fact, Strategy buys have accounted for almost 2/3rds of institutional demand via global treasury companies and bitcoin ETPs in 2026 so far.

More recently, STRC has been trading significantly below par which implies that Strategy either needs to raise its dividend to raise its price above par or pause further issuances of STRC and its bitcoin acquisitions until yields normalise again.

Another key development is the takeover of Kevin Warsh as new Fed governeur – he was officially sworn in on the 22nd of May 2026 to succeed Jerome Powell for a 4-year term. It is worth noting that Warsh appears to be be slightly more hawkish than than Powell based on his very latest speech at the Senate Banking Committee (see natural language analysis below).

Kevin Warsh: Hawkish vs. Dovish Tone, 2007-2026 Kevin Warsh Fed Speech Sentiment
Sources: federalreserve.gov, hoover.org, fortune.com, Bitwise Europe
Wide gaps due to scarcity of speeches
Jerome Powell: Hawkish vs. Dovish Tone, 2012-2026 Jerome Powell Fed Speech Sentiment
Sources: federalreserve.gov, Bitwise Europe

In this context, it is worth highlighting that the most recent rise in the US 10-year yield was mostly due to a rise in real expected policy rates – i.e. higher rate hike expectations.

The bulk of recent US yield increases came from rising policy rate expectations US 10yr Yield Decomposition Stacked
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe

However, as pointed out in our previous Bitcoin Macro Investor report, there is still a significant divergence between market-based inflation expectations (e.g. CPI swap rates) and commodity prices.

US 1yr CPI Swap Rate vs Commodity Inflation Index US 1yr CPI Swap vs Commodity Inflation Index
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
*Commodity Inflation Index = Equal-weighted index of Brent and Copper

In other words, bond markets still remain somewhat complacent about inflation while the Strait of Hormuz still remains effectively closed based on real-time maratime shipping data. In this context, it is not surprising that the US's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) just experienced its biggest draw on record. This means that the supply deficit emanating from the closure continues to weigh heavily on global crude oil stockpiles.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Fed CPI nowcast increased to 4.2% year-over-year signalling accelerating inflation dynamics in the US.

It seems as if sovereign bonds are entering a ‘perfect storm' of rising rate expectations, rising inflation expectations, and elevated sovereign risks. During this uncertain period, it is quite likely that risk assets like bitcoin may remain under pressure. However, there might be a positive catalyst for bitcoin from the monetary policy side.

Historically speaking, bitcoin tends to perform well during periods of declining real yields and tends to underperform during periods of rising real yields.

Negative real rates tend to be a tailwind for Bitcoin Bitcoin vs Real Fed Funds Target Rate YoY
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
US Real Rates = Fed Funds Target Rate minus US CPI Inflation Rate

For instance, the bull run in 2021 was associated with declining real yields, while the bear market in 2022 was associated with rising real yields and tightening monetary policy.

In general, US real yields tend to be one of the best high-frequency indicators for the stance of monetary policy with rising real yields signalling tightening monetary policy and declining real yields signalling easing monetary policy. This is also shown in the following chart:

Monetary Policy Pricing vs US 10yr Real Yield Regimes PC2 vs Real Yield
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe

Real yields have been rather restrctive more recently which is also consistent with the ongoing consolidation in bitcoin.

That being said, if the Fed under Warsh holds rates steady due to rising sovereign risks while inflation rises, that alone could recreate a bullish macro backdrop for bitcoin due to declining real yields.

Despite all of these uncertainties surrounding sovereign bonds, equities have been doing relatively well with the S&P 500 hitting new all-time highs last month. The ongoing rally in equities is supported by rather strong earnings which also imply an ongoing recovery of the overall US economy.

US Earnings Revisions vs ISM Manufacturing Index US Earnings Revisions vs ISM Manufacturing
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe

Positive earnings revisions of the S&P 500 also imply a continuously strong ISM Manufacturing Index which may also provide a tailwind for bitcoin.

ISM Manufacturing Index vs BTC Power Law Residual Bitcoin Power Law Residual vs ISM
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
*Vol-adjusted deviation of price vs power law model price

In this context, we are continung to observe a significant macro discount based on our model described in our previous Bitcoin Macro Investor report.

In other words, bitcoin continues to underprice current (rather positive) global growth expectations.

  • Bottom Line: The macro backdrop is caught between a sovereign bond market flashing red - with Japanese yields surging, a $29 trillion refinancing wall looming, and the IMF warning that markets are "less forgiving" - and resilient equities supported by strong earnings and positive growth revisions. Bitcoin may stay under pressure near-term as restrictive real yields and Strategy's STRC headwinds weigh on demand, but a Fed pause under Warsh against rising inflation, or a sovereign bond capitulation forcing central bank intervention, could prove a upside catalyst given bitcoin's perceived role as a decentralised counterparty hedge on sovereign default risk.

On-Chain Developments

A Digital Asset Ghost Town

Despite disorderly activity across developed sovereign debt markets, digital asset markets remain largely inert, with activity across on-chain, spot, derivatives, options, DAT, and ETF venues effectively sitting around yearly lows.

table

This broad decline in activity points to a sharp lack of investor attention toward digital assets. The macro backdrop appears to be pulling capital away from digital asset markets, leaving crypto markets unusually static.

This disengagement may also help explain why the attempted price breakout reversed over the course of the month. Without sufficient volume to support follow-through, the move struggled to sustain momentum.

Bitcoin: Global Volumes 1 Global Volumes
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | Window: 3 years

This degree of investor apathy is also evident in on-chain profit- and loss-taking dynamics. At present, combined realised profit and realised loss in BTC terms remain severely muted with only 3.3% of trading days recording a lower throughput, reinforcing the view that investors remain largely disengaged from the current market setup.

Bitcoin: Absolute Realized Profit and Loss (BTC) 2 Abs Realised ProfitLoss
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | Window: 10 years

To gauge the magnitude of investor exhaustion, we can utilise the Sell-Side Risk Ratio, which quantifies the size of liquidity flows relative to the asset's invested capital base.

At present, the ratio is sitting at generational lows, with only 0.5% of trading days recording a lower value. This creates a consistent signal across distinct market facets, each different in nature but pointing to the same conclusion. Digital asset markets remain historically illiquid, while investors display signs of extreme fatigue.

Notably, this is also visible across both Long- and Short-Term Holder variants of the sell-side risk ratio, suggesting that disengagement is not isolated to newer investors. Mature, tenured holders are also largely refusing to interact with the market, highlighting a notable synchronisation between two very different investor cohorts. Ultimately, illiquid markets create fragile backdrops, which have historically preceded sharp increases in realised volatility.

Bitcoin: Sell-Side Risk Ratio 3 Sell-Side Risk
Glassnode, Bitwise Europe

A Supply Sink

Supply and demand are two sides of the same equation. Having outlined the case for an acute collapse in investor demand, we now turn to supply-side dynamics to examine the other half of the picture.

Interestingly, the supply side is also tightening, a dynamic visible in price itself as the market becomes increasingly compressed within the prevailing range. The combination of tightening supply and weak demand is creating a fragile equilibrium in market forces.

The clearest evidence of this range acclimatisation comes from Bitcoin's 90-day trading range, which captures much of the market structure that has developed since the $60k cycle low. At present, price has traded in a tighter range on only 7.4% of days, highlighting the unusually narrow corridor that the market has been operating in

Bitcoin: 90d Price Tightness 4 90d Price Tightness
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe

As investors remain inactive, coins continue to sit idle, ageing into long-term holder cohorts and becoming less likely to circulate within the current range.

Notably, LTH supply has reached an ATH of 14.9mn coins and is currently growing at 10.3x the rate of monthly new issuance, providing a useful scale comparison for the pace of supply absorption.

This suggests circulating supply is becoming increasingly constrained, as larger portions of coins move into statistically less price-sensitive ownership, with these holders, on balance, remaining unwilling to distribute within the prevailing price range.

Bitcoin: LTH Supply Storage vs Issuance 5 LTH Supply vs Issuance
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | Window: 15 years

We can assess this at a more granular level by examining the share of supply that has not moved for at least 1, 2, 3, and 5 years.

  • Supply last moved 1yr+: 60.5%
  • Supply last moved 2yr+: 48.5%
  • Supply last moved 3yr+: 42.9%
  • Supply last moved 5yr+: 33.0%

Notably, all cohorts are trending higher, further reinforcing the degree of inactivity across market participants, including holders sitting on substantial unrealised gains. Interestingly, the 5yr+ cohort is recording one of its largest 90-day increases, as coins acquired during the May 2021 Great Miner Migration, and left unspent since, are now ageing into this cohort.

Bitcoin: Supply Last Active More Than X Years (%) 6 Supply Last Active
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | Window: 5 years

Pathing Ahead

With the supply side meaningfully constrained and demand largely absent, the market remains at an important crossroads.

The macroeconomic backdrop, shaped by geopolitical shocks, rising bond yields, and elevated energy prices, continues to create uncertainty around current market dynamics. In such environments, assessing price behaviour around key levels can provide insight into whether investor confidence is returning or whether fragility and capitulation risk continue to dominate. Below are the main pricing levels we are utilising for reference.

  • True Market Mean: $78.2k, which estimates the average acquisition price of active investors by excluding supply considered lost or dormant, such as early miner and Satoshi-era coins.
  • Short-Term Holder Cost Basis: $78.1k, which represents the average purchase price of newer market entrants and has historically acted as a delineator between local bull and bear regimes.

These on-chain levels have historically represented macro and local bull-bear boundaries, respectively. At present, price has been unable to reclaim them despite repeated attempts. We can then compare them with the mean and median price of the current bear market to identify whether a broader midpoint is forming.

Bitcoin: On-Chain Momentum Levels 7 Onchain Momentum Level
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | Window: 12 months

When using the October 6th ATH as the starting point of the current bear market, both the mean and median price across the bear market sit near $85k.

Applying the same heuristic to previous bear markets shows that decisive breakouts above these levels have historically coincided with the transition into new bull market cycles.

In simple terms, several independent measures are clustering in the same area, suggesting the $78k–$85k region remains the market's current midpoint of control.

Bitcoin: Mean & Median Price Between Cycle Peaks 8 Mean and Median Price
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | 15 years

On the technical side, the 90-day, 200-day, and 365-day moving averages provide a fast-to-slow framework for assessing trend momentum.

On the downside, the 90-day moving average at $73k aligns with the breakout point from the recent uptrend.

The 200-day moving average at $80.5k aligns closely with key on-chain cost-basis levels and has regularly been employed as a broad bull-bear regime indicator by technical analysts.

Above this, the 365-day moving average at $95k marks the next major upside resistance zone.

Bitcoin: Technical Momentum Levels 9 Technical Momentum
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | Window: 12 months

Furthermore, we can use Fibonacci drawdown levels as an additional technical cross-check. Rather than introducing a separate framework, these levels help validate whether the same key zones appear through an independent price-based lens.

Using Fibonacci drawdown levels anchored from the ATH, the 23.6% retracement at $95k aligns with the initial peak of the dead-cat bounce before the market descended into the bear regime, while also sitting close to the 365-day moving average.

The 38.2% retracement at $77.1k aligns closely with the current on-chain cost-basis cluster.

On the downside, the 50% retracement at $62.4k aligns more closely with the cycle-low region, marking it as an important structural support zone.

Bitcoin: Fibonacci Retracement Levels (from ATH) 10 Fibonacci Levels
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | ATH: $124,715 | Window: 2 years

While volatility risks remain elevated, it is useful to identify the key downside reference levels that may become relevant should sentiment further deteriorate.

The Realised Price at $54.2k provides an estimate of the aggregate acquisition price across the full investor base, while the Median Realised Price at $64.3k captures the cost basis of the median holder.

Across prior late-stage bear markets, these measures have often served as important structural support zones, marking areas associated with broader market resets. Of note, the Median Realised Price was initially tagged during the February 5th capitulation. Despite this, these levels remain areas of interest, particularly with volatility so tightly coiled and the market still unable to decisively reclaim its midpoint.

Bitcoin: Realised Price and Median Realised Price 11 Realised Price  Median Realised Price
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe | Window: 14 years

Across these measures, a broader map of investor sentiment begins to emerge, with price reactions around each region providing insight into prevailing supply and demand conditions. The $78k–$80k region represents the current midpoint of control. Above this, the $83k–$85k region remains the first major resistance zone, while the $95k area marks a more meaningful shift toward risk-on conditions.

On the downside, the $73k level remains important from a technical perspective, as a loss of this level could bring the cycle low back into focus. Conversely, a constructive development would be the formation of a higher low around $73k, followed by a systematic reclaim of the upside resistance levels. Each successful reclaim would likely improve confidence among buyers, gradually re-engaging liquidity and, by extension, demand into the market.

Bottom Line: The market is increasingly behaving like a system in stasis despite exogenous macroeconomic pressure. Investor demand has faded across nearly every major venue, while the supply side is becoming progressively more inert as coins age into stronger, less reactive hands. This creates a narrow and fragile equilibrium where available liquidity is thin and price has become compressed around the market's current midpoint near the $78k–$80k region. With investor attention acutely low, the market likely requires a meaningful price move to re-engage capital and define whether this range resolves into renewed upside momentum or another leg of downside discovery.

Bottom Line

  • Performance: May 2026 saw bitcoin stage a mechanical recovery above $80k before stalling at the $80k–$85k bull-bear threshold and retracing to $72k on heavy ETP outflows and a sharp sentiment reset in the second half. While near-term price action remains fragile and macro-driven, the structural backdrop continues to firm, with long-term holder supply at all-time highs and bitcoin's MVRV valuation sitting below the levels currently observed for some other hard asset alternatives, such as US large-cap tech.
  • Macro: The macro backdrop is caught between a sovereign bond market flashing red - with Japanese yields surging, a $29 trillion refinancing wall looming, and the IMF warning that markets are "less forgiving" - and resilient equities supported by strong earnings and positive growth revisions. Bitcoin may stay under pressure near-term as restrictive real yields and Strategy's STRC headwinds weigh on demand, but a Fed pause under Warsh against rising inflation, or a sovereign bond capitulation forcing central bank intervention, could prove a upside catalyst given bitcoin's perceived role as a decentralised counterparty hedge on sovereign default risk.
  • On-Chain: The market is increasingly behaving like a system in stasis despite exogenous macroeconomic pressure. Investor demand has faded across nearly every major venue, while the supply side is becoming progressively more inert as coins age into stronger, less reactive hands. This creates a narrow and fragile equilibrium where available liquidity is thin and price has become compressed around the market’s current midpoint near the $78k–$80k region. With investor attention acutely low, the market likely requires a meaningful price move to re-engage capital and define whether this range resolves into renewed upside momentum or another leg of downside discovery.

Appendix

Cryptoasset Market Overview

Bitcoin Performance Bitcoin Performance
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe
Ethereum Performance Ethereum Performance
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe
Ethereum vs Bitcoin Relative Performance Ethereum vs Bitcoin Performance
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe
Altseason Index Altseason Index
Source: Coinmetrics, Bitwise Europe
Bitcoin vs Crypto Dispersion Index Crypto Dispersion vs Bitcoin short
Source: Glassnode, Coinmetrics, Bitwise Europe; Despersion = (1 - Average Altcoin Correlation with Bitcoin)

Cryptoassets & Macroeconomy

Macro Factor Pricing Regimes All PCs
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
How much of Bitcoin's performance can be explained by macro factors? Regimes Rolling R2 Bitcoin short
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe

Cryptoassets & Multiasset Portfolios

Multiasset Performance with Bitcoin (BTC) Multiasset with BTC Performance Table
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe; Monthly rebalancing; Sharpe Ratio was calculated with 3M USD Cash Index as assumed risk-free rate; BTC allocation is taken out of equity allocation of 60%, bond allocation remains at 40%; Past performance not indicative of future returns.
Rolling correlation: S&P 500 Rolling Correlation 60 BTC ETH SPX
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
Rolling correlation: Bund Future Rolling Correlation 60 BTC ETH Bund
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
Rolling correlation: Gold Rolling Correlation 60 BTC ETH Gold
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
Rolling correlation: Dollar Index (DXY) Rolling Correlation 60 BTC ETH DXY
Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
Cross Asset Correlation Matrix Cross Asset Correlation Matrix
Correlations of weekly returns; Source: Bloomberg, Bitwise Europe
Earliest data start: 2011-01-03; data as of 2026-05-26

Cryptoasset Valuations

Bitcoin: Composite Valuation Indicator BTC Composite Valuation Line
Source: Coinmetrics, Bitwise Europe
Bitcoin: Valuation Metrics BTC Valuation Metrics Bar
Source: Coinmetrics, Bitwise Europe

On-Chain Fundamentals

Bitcoin: Closing Price BTC Realized Cap HODL Waves
Source: Glassnode
Bitcoin's supply scarcity is more pronounsed that during the last cycle Bitcoin Supply Scarcity Dashboard
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe
Bitcoin Long-term Holder (LTH) Dashboard Bitcoin LTH Dashboard
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe
Bitcoin Short-term Holder (STH) Dashboard Bitcoin STH Dashboard
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe
Bitcoin: Price vs Average Accumulatio Score BTC Accumulation Score vs Price
Source: Glassnode, Bitwise Europe
Bitcoin: Steady increase in scarcity will provide a tailwind for price appreciations Bitcoin BAERM Forecast narrow
Source: Coinmetrics, Bitwise Europe; @ciphernom

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Bitwise Europe GmbH, incorporated under the laws of Germany, is the issuer of the Exchange Traded Products (“ETPs”) referenced in this Document under a base prospectus and the applicable final terms, as supplemented from time to time, approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). The approval of the prospectus by BaFin relates solely to the completeness, coherence and comprehensibility of the prospectus in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation or assessment of the merits of the products.

Capital at risk. Cryptoassets are highly volatile and involve a high degree of risk. The value of investments in cryptoassets and crypto-linked ETPs may fluctuate significantly, and investors may lose part or all of their invested capital. No capital protection or guaranteed compensation mechanism applies in respect of market losses.

Any investment decision should be made on the basis of the relevant base prospectus, the applicable final terms and the key information document, in particular the section entitled “Risk Warning” The base prospectus, final terms and additional risk information are available at: www.bitwiseinvestments.eu

Access to certain documents may require self-certification regarding your jurisdiction and investor status and may be subject to additional disclaimers and important information.

For further details, please refer to the full disclaimer available at: www.bitwiseinvestments.eu/disclaimer

About Bitwise

Bitwise is one of the world’s leading crypto specialist asset managers. Thousands of financial advisors, family offices, and institutional investors across the globe have partnered with us to understand and access the opportunities in crypto. Since 2017, Bitwise has established a track record of excellence managing a broad suite of delta-one, index and active solutions across ETPs, ETFs, separately managed accounts, private funds, and hedge fund strategies, spanning both the U.S. and Europe.

Contact

General Inquiries europe@bitwiseinvestments.com
Institutional investors clients@bitwiseinvestments.com

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Important Information – Please Read Before Proceeding

This website is operated by Bitwise Europe GmbH (“Bitwise”, “we”, “us”). The information on this website is intended for UK retail clients and other visitors in the United Kingdom. If you are not in the UK, local laws and rules may differ and the materials here may not be appropriate for you.

All content is provided for general information only. It does not constitute investment advice, tax or legal advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any investment and must not be relied upon to make an investment decision. You should consider whether an investment is suitable for your circumstances and, where appropriate, seek independent professional advice.

Cryptoassets and crypto-linked products are high-risk. The FCA categorises retail crypto promotions as Restricted Mass Market Investments (RMMI). As such, additional prominence, risk-warning and risk-summary requirements apply to retail communications. You could lose all the money you invest.

Investments in cryptoassets or many crypto-linked products are generally not covered by the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) or the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). You should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

Access to certain pages, features, or transactions may be subject to client categorisation and appropriateness assessments required by FCA rules. We may ask you to complete checks or declarations before you can proceed.

Where this website contains a retail financial promotion for crypto or other RMMIs, you will see the FCA-prescribed risk warning and a link (“Take 2 mins to learn more”) to the FCA risk summary presented in a pop-up or dedicated page. For convenience, you can access that summary here at any time.

Where performance is shown, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Any projections, targets, or forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and may not be realised. Fees and expenses reduce returns.

Returns may be reduced by fees, charges, spreads, and taxes. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Seek professional advice if unsure.

Where a prospectus (including any base or supplemental prospectus) or KID/PRIIPs KIID or equivalent is provided, it is regulatory disclosure, not marketing. Those documents are generally outside the UK financial-promotion restriction.

In line with FCA rules for high-risk investments, we do not offer incentives to invest (e.g., refer-a-friend bonuses, monetary/non-monetary perks) in relation to retail crypto promotions.

External links are provided for convenience only. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party websites or their content. We take reasonable care to ensure accuracy but do not guarantee completeness, timeliness, or availability of the website or its contents; information may change without notice.

Our products or services may not be available in all jurisdictions or to all investors. Access may be restricted by law. You are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable laws and regulations.

For queries or complaints, contact: clients@bitwiseinvestments.com | Additional contact and legal information is available in our Terms of Website Use and Privacy Policy.

Copyright & trademarks © 2025 Bitwise. All rights reserved. Product names, logos and brands are property of their respective owners

The selected location is intended only for people resident in that country. If you are accessing from the UK, you should not use this version of the website or access the products and services shown here, as they are not available in your country and may not be suitable for you.

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Avis Important

Les produits d’investissement domiciliés en Europe et présentés sur ce site sont des Exchange Traded Commodities (« ETC »), instruments financiers considérés comme des titres de créances complexes par l'Autorité des Marchés Financiers, présentant des risques difficilement compréhensibles par le grand public. À ce titre, leur distribution en France répond à des règles spécifiques. Il relève de la responsabilité des intermédiaires et investisseurs professionnels souhaitant offrir des ETCs à leurs clients de s'assurer que leur distribution auxdits clients est réalisée dans le respect de la réglementation française.

Terms of website use

Please read these terms carefully before using this website. By clicking on “Accept” and by accessing the website on an ongoing basis, you are deemed to have read, understood and accepted these Terms of Website Use.

The distribution of the information and material on this Website may be restricted by law in certain countries. None of the information is directed at, or is intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction (by virtue of nationality, place of residence, domicile or registered office) where publication, distribution or use of such information would be contrary to local law or regulation. By clicking on “Accept” and by accessing the website on an ongoing basis you attest that you are a professional investor or are otherwise allowed to access this website pursuant to all applicable laws.

You must not use or attempt to use any automated program (including, without limitation, any spider or other web crawler) to access our system or in relation to this Website.

We may change these Terms of Website Use from time to time. Any changes we may make will be posted on this website. By continuing to use and access this website following such changes, you agree to be bound by any changes we make. Please review this page frequently to see any updates or changes to these Terms.

If you are in the UK, US or Canada

Information available on this website is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering in the United States, to, or for the account or benefit of, any U.S. Person or in Canada, or any state, province or territory thereof, where neither the Issuer nor its products are authorised or registered for distribution or sale and where no prospectus of the Issuer has been filed with any securities regulator. Neither this website nor information it contains should be accessed by a US person or legal entity or taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This document does not constitute an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity. In the UK, this document is provided for information purposes and directed only at investment professionals (as defined under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 as amended from time to time). It is not intended for use by, or directed at, retail customers or any person who does not have professional experience in matters relating to investment in cryptocurrencies and crypto-backed ETPs. Neither the Issuer nor its products are authorised or regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

No advice

Nothing on this website should be considered to be investment, legal, tax or any other advice nor is it to be relied on in making an investment decision. All investors should obtain independent investment advice and inform themselves as to applicable legal requirements, exchange control regulations and taxes in their jurisdiction.

The information on this website is provided for information purposes only. The fact that Bitwise has provided it does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any particular product or to engage in any other related transaction. The products involve a high degree of risk and are not necessarily suitable for everyone. The products presented in this section of the website are intended for sale only to sophisticated investors who are able to understand and bear the risks involved. They may not be suitable for you.

In preparing the information in this section of the Website, Bitwise has not taken into account your individual investment objectives, financial situation or investment needs. Nothing in the website constitutes or is intended to constitute financial, legal, accounting or tax advice. Neither Bitwise or any affiliate will provide or purport to provide you with investment advice as a result of your use of this website. Accessing this website does not create any contract whereby Bitwise agrees or undertakes to provide you with any information or investment advice. The information on this website is provided solely on the basis that you will make your own investment decisions.

Limitation of Liability

Neither Bitwise nor any of its affiliates, directors, officers or employees shall be responsible or will be liable for any loss or damage including consequential or indirect damage or loss of profit, arising in any way from the use of, or inability to use, this website or any reliance placed on the information it contains. The website is provided on an "as is" basis. Whilst we take all reasonable care to ensure the information published on this website is up to date and as accurate as possible, Bitwise does not guarantee or warrant that this website, or any services or content on it, will always be accurate, available or provided uninterrupted. We may suspend, withdraw, discontinue or change all or any part of this website without notice. We do not guarantee that this website will be secure or free from bugs or viruses. You agree that your use of this website is at your own risk.

Certain documents made available on this Website may have been prepared and issued by persons other than Bitwise. Bitwise is not responsible in any way for the content of any such documents. The website may also contain hyperlinks to external websites that are not under the control of Bitwise. Bitwise does not approve or endorse the contents of such websites and does not control or take any responsibility for the content of any such websites.

Risk Warnings

  • Cryptocurrencies and products linked to cryptocurrencies are highly volatile.
  • You can lose some or all of your investment.
  • Risks of investing are numerous and include market, price, currency, liquidity, operational, legal and regulatory risks.
  • Exchange traded products do not offer a fixed income or match precisely the performance of the underlying cryptocurrency.
  • Investment in cryptocurrencies and products linked to cryptocurrencies are only suitable for experienced investors and you should seek independent advice and check with your broker prior to investing.

All investors should read the relevant base prospectus and final terms contained on this website before investing and, in particular, the section entitled ‘Risk Factors' for further details of risks associated with an investment.

General

The website is owned and operated by Bitwise Europe Management Ltd., a company registered in England and Wales under number 12165332 with its registered office at 6th Floor, 60 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AW, United Kingdom. You can contact us by email at europe@bitwiseinvestments.com.

References to “Bitwise”, “we”, “us” and “our” in these Terms of Website Use refer to Bitwise Europe Management Ltd. and our affiliates.

All content and the design of this Website are owned by Bitwise or our licensors and protected by copyright and other applicable laws. Any copying of the website or of its content requires the prior written consent of Bitwise.

Bitwise respects the privacy of users. Please see our Privacy Policy for information setting out how we handle personal information collected through the Website.

Avis Important

Les produits présentés sur ce site internet ne sont ni destinés à être distribués, ni accessibles aux investisseurs non-professionnels résidant en France. Toute information figurant sur ce site est fournie à titre informatif uniquement. Pour toute information complémentaire, veuillez contacter votre conseiller financier ou votre intermédiaire habituel.