Bitcoin News: Whales and Sharks’ Realized Losses Crossed $30B in Q1

Key Insights:

• Bitcoin news: Glassnode data revealed the extent of damage that Bitcoin whales and sharks took in Q1.
• Long-term holder SOPR reveals that whales are down by almost 25% on all coins they move.
• Bitcoin exchange reserves could potentially underscore a healthy floor price in the current range.

April is off to a gloomy start for the crypto community, according to the latest Bitcoin news. The cloud of uncertainty that hovered over the market in February also extended in March, and even the whales took on heavy losses.

The latest Bitcoin news revealed the extent of the impact of the bearish market conditions on large holders (whales and sharks). According to Glassnode data, this category of holders recorded about $30.9 billion worth of realized Bitcoin USD losses.

Bitcoin news: Realized loss by wallet size/ source

The data showed that whales (addresses holding 1,000-10,000 BTC) had an average daily loss of $147.5 million in Q1 2026. Meanwhile, sharks (addresses holding 100 to 1,000 BTC) lost an average of $188.5 million per day.

The last time Bitcoin whales suffered such heavy losses was in 2022. Q1 2026 was thus the worst quarter for the market in the last 4 years.

Bitcoin News: BTC Holder LTH SOPR Confirms Gloomy Situation for Whales

CryptoQuant analysts have been keeping tabs on profit and loss ratios and recently observed some interesting findings. Bitcoin’s long-term holder SOPR has remained below 0.88 for the past 3 weeks.

Bitcoin Long-term holder SOPR | Source: CryptoQuant

On the other hand, the short-term holder SOPR has been hovering near breakeven. This means long-term holders were facing deeper losses than short-term holders.

This dynamic between the two types of holders reflects a noteworthy shift in market structure. It suggests lower conviction among long-term holders, suggesting that forced selling has been rising.

This observation is important because such shifts have historically signaled capitulation. According to the Cryptoquant analysis, this could indicate a risk of the current Bitcoin floor price weakening.

Long-term holders who have been selling the cryptocurrency offloaded at roughly a 25% loss in Q1 2026, as per the data. Now the big question is whether this large holder capitulation will weaken the current support level.

Here’s What Bitcoin Exchange Reserves Say About Its Prospects

The long-term and short-term holder SOPR ratio is now steering the conversation around the current Bitcoin USD floor price. The cryptocurrency has been showing strength near the $65,000 price level.

Bitcoin exchange reserves registered a notable uptick in the last week of March 2026. However, they have been cooling since then. It suggests that long-term buyers were still moving their coins out of exchanges.

Bitcoin news-Bitcoin exchange reserves sit on key level/Source: CryptoQuant

However, Bitcoin exchange reserves have not yet retreated below March 2026 levels. The Bitcoin USD chart showed that the downside was less severe in February and Mid-March than in January.

Also, the relatively sideways price action was similar to BTC’s price action between mid-November 2025 and mid-January 2026. Price responded with bearish capitulation in the first week of February.

The current situation has been playing out just as it did during the previous consolidation zone. Moreover, the Q1 data revealed that not even whales were spared. What happens next depends on whether these concerns of another potential capitulation will become reality.

In the meantime, crypto analysts are still factoring in macro and geopolitical factors as potential drivers of liquidity. The market appears anxious for the next move. Social mentions and posts in the coming week may exploit that anxiety for another subtle directional move.

The post Bitcoin News: Whales and Sharks’ Realized Losses Crossed $30B in Q1 appeared first on The Coin Republic.