Onchain Series Part II: NUPL: Reading the Emotions of the Market

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This is a metric we have not covered before in the Morning Note, so let us start from the ground up.

NUPL stands for Net Unrealised Profit/Loss. Like the MVRV Z-Score we covered last time, it is built on Market Value and Realised Value. Subtracting Realised Value from Market Value gives you the total unrealised profit or loss held across the entire market. Divide that by market cap and you have NUPL, a normalised ratio that can be compared consistently across Bitcoin’s history regardless of price level.

What makes it particularly useful is what it represents in human terms. It is a direct reading of the emotional state of the market.

When the ratio is high, the average holder is sitting on substantial paper profit, which has historically corresponded to the greed and overconfidence that precedes major tops. When it turns negative, the average holder is underwater, and that has historically corresponded to the fear and capitulation that precedes major recoveries.

The chart colour-codes these zones to reflect the dominant sentiment at each level: from euphoria and greed at the top end, through optimism and hope in the middle, down into anxiety, fear and capitulation at the bottom. Each of those zones has historically mapped closely to specific stages of the Bitcoin market cycle.

Where does NUPL sit today?

The indicator is currently in the fear zone and trending towards capitulation. Historically every period spent within these lower bands, whether fear or full capitulation, has represented a strong accumulation window. There may be further downside ahead, and if capitulation is reached it will likely present an even deeper opportunity, but waiting for that moment is not a strategy. The window is open now, and those who act within it rather than wait for a signal that may never feel comfortable have consistently been the ones best positioned for the recovery.

What this does tell us is that we are entering the part of the cycle where the emotional environment begins to work in the disciplined investor’s favour. The majority of holders are at or below their entry price, sentiment is deteriorating and conviction is being tested. There is a real possibility of additional downside and that should not be dismissed. But in every prior cycle, this is the zone where the most durable long-term positions were built.

The MVRV Z-Score told us the market is statistically undervalued relative to its own history. NUPL tells us why that tends to be the case at these moments: because sentiment has deteriorated to a point where most participants are either holding at a loss or have already sold. The people still selling now are not selling because the fundamentals are bad. They are selling because the feeling is bad. And that distinction is everything.

Two metrics in, and they are telling the same story. We are closer to the end than the beginning.

Stormrake Spotlight: Pax Gold (PAXG) ($4,023)

Source:https://www.tradingview.com/x/frfnaawd/

PAXG has retraced back to the key zone at $4,000 as expected. We anticipate this level to provide support and further bounces before the next move is decided.

BTC/USD Key Levels and Price Action:

Source: https://www.tradingview.com/x/5Lld2WO7/

Bitcoin has made another lower low, losing nearly 5% in a single hour overnight. The bears continue to flex their muscles, pushing BTC lower at every opportunity. The key $60,000 level has now flipped to resistance as Bitcoin looks to move lower.

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*All prices are denominated in USD unless stated otherwise*

Written by Alexandar Artis

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