Bitcoin Buying Pressure Hits $83 Billion as Short-Term Holder Profits Return

Highlights:

• Bitcoin’s 365-day net spot buying pressure has climbed above $83 billion after staying negative until March 2026.
• Darkfost says the rise in Bitcoin spot buying pressure shows demand has clearly improved across major exchanges.
• Short-term holder SOPR has also risen above 1, indicating investors are again taking profits after a prolonged period.

Bitcoin (BTC) is experiencing its strongest sustained spot buying pressure since the previous bear market, according to CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost. The 365-day measure of net buying pressure has now climbed above $83 billion. It marks a sharp improvement in demand after remaining negative until March 2026.

Bitcoin Spot Demand Strengthens Across Major Exchanges

Darkfost shared the data in a September 6 post on X. The metric tracks the difference between Bitcoin spot buy volume and sell volume across major cryptocurrency exchanges, calculated in U.S. dollars and accumulated over one year. A positive reading means buyers have absorbed more Bitcoin through spot markets than sellers have supplied during that period.

“This figure has now surpassed $83 billion, after being negative until March 2026. This is a sign that demand has clearly improved recently compared to its cumulative annual average. A clearly positive trend is now emerging,” the analyst said.

The move adds another positive signal to Bitcoin’s current market structure. However, Darkfost cautioned that spot trading still represents only part of overall exchange activity. Futures markets continue to account for a much larger share of trading flows, meaning stronger spot demand alone does not determine Bitcoin’s next price move. Still, he said market momentum appears to be improving steadily as buying activity strengthens.

💥 Bitcoin is experiencing its strongest buying pressure since the last bear market.

This is a net buying pressure calculated in dollars and cumulated over 365 days. It’s the difference between spot buy volume and sell volume across major exchanges.

This figure has now… pic.twitter.com/FIzxW7LMr8

— Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) September 6, 2026

Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Return to Profit

A second CryptoQuant indicator is also showing a notable shift among short-term Bitcoin holders. In another September 6 post, Darkfost said Bitcoin’s Short-Term Holder Spent Output Profit Ratio, or STH SOPR, has moved above 1 on a 30-day average for the first meaningful time in more than a year. Short-term holders are investors who have held Bitcoin for less than six months.

The SOPR indicator measures whether coins are being sold at a profit or loss. A reading above 1 generally means the group is realizing profits, while a reading below 1 suggests coins are being sold at a loss. Darkfost said the current reading is around 1.01. He also described the move as stronger than the brief improvement recorded in May.

“It has now just reached a positive level (>1) that we hadn’t seen in over a year. During the last bear market, the same thing happened. STH remained in an average loss zone for about a year,” he stated.

According to Darkfost, sustained profitability among short-term holders can support a healthier market because active investors can take profits without immediately pushing the group back into a loss position.

🟢 The STH SOPR is starting to create an interesting move.

This is an indicator I’ve averaged over a month, which shows the amount of profit realized by STH (Short-Term Holders), meaning holders of less than 6 months.

—> It has now just reached a positive level (>1) that we… pic.twitter.com/o0rIf7ryBm

— Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) September 6, 2026

The two indicators point to improvement in different parts of the Bitcoin market. Rising net spot buying pressure suggests stronger underlying demand, while the recovery in STH SOPR shows that newer holders are beginning to realize profits again. However, he also warned that the indicator should not rise to extreme levels.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading near $79,808, up around 0.22% over the past 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. BTC remains about 36.79% below its all-time high of $126,198.07, reached on October 6, 2025.