Network analyst Timothy Peterson brought to light a surprising aspect of Bitcoin's liquidity in an analysis. A significant portion of BTC remains virtually dormant due to high transaction fees.
Peterson, known for adapting Metcalfe's Law to Bitcoin, points out that high transaction costs lock up funds, especially in small wallets. “If you can't pay the $10 fee, you don't move the $5,” he explains.
According to the analyst, approximately 70% of Bitcoin wallets hold less than $10 BTC.
Furthermore, Peterson's research reveals that approximately 6 million Bitcoins have been permanently lost, further reducing the number of coins in circulation. When these factors are taken into account, the actual supply of salable Bitcoin decreases greatly.
The analysis results in a striking figure: Bitcoin's salable supply is actually only 4 million BTC. This figure is calculated considering that only 30% of the total 13.5 million BTC (minus missing coins) is available to be sold or traded.
*This is not investment advice.