Most Bitcoin Investors Would Lose Money if They Sold Now
2022 just keeps getting worse for cryptocurrency investors.
More than half of all bitcoin investors are now in the red, according to data from blockchain analytics platform IntoTheBlock. As of Tuesday morning, 54.5% of all bitcoin addresses were categorized by IntoTheBlock as “out of the money,” meaning that the bitcoin held by that investor is worth less now than it cost on average.
That figure is based on a recent bitcoin price of $16,171.61 per coin, which is 66% lower than bitcoin’s price at the beginning of the year and its lowest level since November 2020.
Another 44.4% of bitcoin investors are in the money, meaning their investments are worth more now than their average purchase prices, while 1.1% of investors are breaking even.
Given bitcoin’s volatile year, it’s no surprise that most investors are down. If you bought $1,000 worth of bitcoin last November, when prices were at their peak, your investment would be worth roughly $250 today. (Of course, it's worth remembering that you only realize a loss or profit when you sell an investment.)
But investors who have held bitcoin for a long time have seen worse. Back in 2015, 62% of bitcoin holders were losing money on their positions, according to IntoTheBlock’s data.
What’s next for bitcoin prices
In the aftermath of the meltdown of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, investors are struggling to come to grips with the future of the industry. As is often the case, mixed messages abound.
Shares of the Coinbase exchange have fallen more than 18% over the past week, even as famed investor Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management has scooped up shares, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
A survey conducted this month by decision intelligence company Morning Consult found that U.S. adults predict bitcoin will be valued at roughly $11,500 in six months. Crypto owners in the poll were slightly more positive — they believe that bitcoin prices will rise to about $17,500 over that same period.
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