New data suggests that Bitcoin (BTC) could be moving closer to a bull market phase as its supply slowly shifts back into long-term, retail-investor-linked wallets. The figure surpassed 4 million BTC in Q1 2026.
The accumulation trend aligns with a rise in Bitcoin network activity index to levels last seen in April 2025, signaling a return of stronger network activity.
Bitcoin long-term wallets expand holdings
CryptoQuant data shows that balances held by accumulating address cohorts continued to rise into Q1 2026. The total BTC held by these cohorts has crossed 4.37 million BTC as of April 7, up from about 2 million BTC in early 2024, signaling sustained supply absorption.
The retail-investor-linked accumulation addresses added roughly 857,000 BTC, while the accumulating pattern wallets, defined as addresses that steadily add BTC at recurring intervals with minimal outflows, expanded to 1.29 million BTC.
This growth occurred while the price remained capped below $70,000 throughout the first quarter of 2026.
In contrast, the inflows from centralized exchanges and highly active addresses have slowed. During the 2023–2024 expansion phases, the inflows often exceeded 1.2 million to 1.5 million BTC. The recent activity has averaged 300,000 to 350,000 BTC.
The divergence shows a shift in coin distribution. More BTC is moving into long-term wallets, while fewer coins are circulating on the exchanges. This indicates a tightening of the liquid supply and a reduction in short-term trading turnover.
Related: Bitcoin holds $67K support as data exposes price to sentiment divergence
Bitcoin network activity index highlights the trend
The CryptoQuant Bitcoin network activity index has climbed to 3,600 from 3,320 on March 22. The index aggregates broader usage signals, including transaction counts and network throughput.
As observed in the chart, it has moved above its 365-day moving average for the first time since December 2024 and entered the “bull-phase” classification for the first time since April 2025.
In parallel, Bitcoin’s active addresses momentum dropped to -0.25 on April 6, the lowest reading since April 2018. The metric tracks the rate of change in active addresses, with negative values pointing to declining user participation.
The low activity levels have persisted since July 2025, echoing a similar stretch in 2024 that preceded a 35% price decline.
According to crypto analyst Gaah, the drop in activity signals the absence of short-term participants, or “tourists.” The network usage is now dominated by long-term holders focused on accumulation.
Historically, low readings have aligned with profitable accumulation phases. The reduced activity often coincides with lower sell pressure as the coins move into long-term wallets.
Related: Bitcoin’s quantum challenges are ‘more social than technical’: Grayscale
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