Bitcoin OTC Balance Rises to 410,000, Highest Since May 2022

On October 1, the total number of bitcoins on the over-the-counter (OTC) market surpassed 410,000, the highest level since May 2022 and more than double the 185,000 in March, according to CryptoQuant data.

Balances can indicate the amount of liquidity available to buy or sell at an OTC counter, with high balances indicating high liquidity and the ability of the counter to fulfill large orders. Low balances, on the other hand, may indicate greater difficulty in trading. OTC clients are primarily high net worth individuals or institutions outside of retail trading platforms. OTC trading allows for high volumes of buying and selling without affecting the price of bitcoin on CEX.

Data shows that OTC balances have risen sharply over the past six months, while Bitcoin has been trending downward from its all-time high of $73,500 in March. The rise in balances is quite similar to what happened between late 2020 and early 2021, when OTC balances soared from 235,000 tokens to 435,000 tokens in six months. The difference is that the price of bitcoin was rising then, but is now slightly lower.