Bitcoin On-Chain Alert: 2021 Cycle Coins Just Moved

bitcoinistPublished on 2026-01-14Last updated on 2026-01-14

Abstract

On-chain data reveals two significant Bitcoin transactions involving coins dormant for 3 to 5 years, corresponding to tokens acquired between 2021 and 2023. The first transaction moved 539 BTC, and the second 1,566 BTC. Such movements of long-held coins can indicate smart money rotation or early investors exiting. Meanwhile, CryptoQuant's 2025 exchange review highlights Binance's dominance, holding 72% of stablecoin reserves ($47.6B in USDT and USDC) among top exchanges and accounting for 41% of spot trading volume. Bitcoin's price remains around $92,200, showing sideways movement after a recent surge in early 2026.

On-chain data shows tokens aged between 3 and 5 years old have just moved on the Bitcoin network with two large transactions.

3 To 5 Years Old Bitcoin Supply Has Seen Movement Recently

As pointed out by CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn in a new post on X, two transactions involving old tokens have just occurred on the Bitcoin blockchain. The on-chain metric of interest here is the “Spent Output Age Bands,” which tracks how many tokens that the various coin age groups or “age bands” are moving on the network.

In the context of the current topic, the age band of interest is the one containing coins that have been dormant for between three and five years. Here is the chart for the Bitcoin Spent Output Age Bands shared by Maartunn that shows the data specifically for this cohort:

The value of the metric  seems to have registered two spikes recently | Source: @JA_Maartun on X

As is visible in the above graph, the Bitcoin Spent Output Age Bands have captured two large transactions from the 3 to 5 years age band during the past couple of days. The first of these involved 539 BTC, while the second moved 1,566 BTC.

The 3 to 5 years age band corresponds to coins that were purchased between January 2021 and January 2023, essentially covering the cycle spanning over the 2021 bull market and 2022 bear market. Thus, the tokens that have just been moved were held by investors who had been sitting silent since buying in the previous cycle.

“Dormant supply waking up is often a signal—either smart money rotating or early holders exiting,” explained the analyst. It now remains to be seen whether these transactions were a temporary deviation or if long-term holder whales will make more such moves in the near future.

In some other news, CryptoQuant has shared its 2025 review of digital asset exchange activity. One interesting finding is that stablecoins are heavily concentrated on Binance, with the exchange holding a combined $47.6 billion in USDT and USDC reserves. This is equivalent to 72% of the stablecoin holdings across the ten largest exchanges.

Binance also dominated 2025 in spot trading activity, recording close to $7 trillion in volume.

The trend in the crypto spot trading volume by exchange | Source: CryptoQuant

Binance’s dominance of trading volume wasn’t quite as stark as that of its stablecoin reserves, however, as it made up for 41% of the total spot volume among the top 10 platforms. The exchange’s share of the futures trading volume was similar, coming out at 42%.

Overall spot and futures trading volume in the cryptocurrency sector grew during 2025 compared to the end of 2024, but the yearly growth rate declined.

BTC Price

Bitcoin has been moving sideways recently as its price is still trading around the $92,200 level.

Looks like the price of the coin has seen a surge since the start of 2026 | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView

Related Questions

QWhat is the significance of the recent movement in the 3 to 5-year-old Bitcoin supply?

AThe movement of these dormant coins, which were purchased between January 2021 and January 2023, is a significant on-chain signal. It can indicate either smart money rotating their assets or early holders from the previous market cycle choosing to exit their positions.

QWhat were the sizes of the two large transactions mentioned in the alert?

AThe first transaction involved 539 BTC, and the second, larger transaction moved 1,566 BTC from the 3 to 5-year-old age band.

QAccording to the CryptoQuant review, what was a key finding about stablecoin reserves on exchanges?

AA key finding was that stablecoins are heavily concentrated on Binance, which holds a combined $47.6 billion in USDT and USDC reserves. This represents 72% of the stablecoin holdings across the ten largest exchanges.

QHow did Binance perform in terms of trading volume in 2025 compared to other exchanges?

ABinance dominated spot trading activity in 2025 with close to $7 trillion in volume, accounting for 41% of the total spot volume among the top 10 platforms. Its share of futures trading volume was similarly high at 42%.

QWhat is the current price trend for Bitcoin as mentioned at the end of the article?

ABitcoin has been moving sideways recently, with its price still trading around the $92,200 level. The article also notes that the price saw a surge at the start of 2026.

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363 Total ViewsPublished 2025.05.13Updated 2025.05.13

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