Glassnode: Consumer Confidence Falls as AI-Related Stocks Rise, Bitcoin Lags Behind
According to Glassnode, consumer confidence remains at one of its lowest levels in a decade, despite two consecutive months of improvement. This has not stopped households from moving money out of cash, as they expect further cost-of-living increases and a broader economic slowdown. The key question is where this capital is flowing.
US stocks hit a new all-time high in early August, primarily driven by trading in AI-related stocks rather than a broad market rally. Bitcoin, historically seen as a hedge against declining trust in traditional finance, has not participated in this movement. Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw outflows of $389.7 million in one week, coinciding with rising equity markets—a divergence that aligns with Glassnode's data on capital flows.
Bitcoin is currently trading at roughly half its October 2025 peak, stuck in a narrow range. Meanwhile, AI-related trading continues to attract fresh capital from retail traders, hedge funds, and even crypto-native institutional investors, who are redirecting funds into AI stocks and tokens.
The macroeconomic backdrop has not been hostile to Bitcoin, with core inflation at a moderate 2.5% in July. However, Bitcoin's muted response to favorable inflation data is seen as a concerning signal, given its supposed role as a hedge against currency debasement. Spot Bitcoin exchange trading volume has fallen to its lowest since 2019, and recent ETF inflows are only a "fraction of any prior accumulation wave," suggesting institutional buying may have paused.
This trend extends beyond trading: some Bitcoin miners are repurposing their power contracts and data center capacity for AI workloads. This appears to be a structural shift that could pressure Bitcoin's status as the default destination for capital leaving cash. The fundamental arguments for Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation or scarcity are not invalidated, but their expected impact has not materialized within the timeline anticipated by crypto optimists this summer.
cryptonews.ruYesterday 09:55