Realized HODL Ratio (RHODL)

Understanding the Bitcoin RHODL Ratio

The Bitcoin RHODL Ratio is a powerful on-chain metric originally developed by Philip Swift. This metric helps investors understand the relationship between short-term and long-term holders of Bitcoin and its impact on market trends.

Unpacking the RHODL Ratio

The RHODL Ratio measures the relative wealth distribution between short-term holders (coins moved recently) and long-term holders (coins held for one to two years). High RHODL Ratio values indicate a large proportion of the Bitcoin supply is held by short-term holders, meaning a lot of wealth is invested in recently moved coins. Conversely, low RHODL Ratio values suggest most of the supply is held by long-term holders, those who have held their coins for one to two years.

Calculation Method: The RHODL Ratio compares the average price of Bitcoin that hasn't been moved for one week with the average price of Bitcoin held for one to two years. It then multiplies this value by the total market age to account for the increasing number of long-term holders as Bitcoin matures.

Insights from the RHODL Ratio

Market Sentiment: High RHODL Ratio values often correspond to periods where new investors are entering the market and buying coins, leading to a wealth transfer from long-term holders to new buyers. This can indicate bullish market sentiment.
Hodler Dominance: Low RHODL Ratio values reflect a market dominated by long-term holders, indicating that the majority of the supply is in the hands of those with strong conviction in Bitcoin's future value. This can occur during bear markets or periods of low market activity.

Practical Application in Analysis

Analyzing the RHODL Ratio involves looking at trends over time and identifying key inflection points:

Wealth Transfer: As Bitcoin transitions from bear to bull markets, the RHODL Ratio typically rises, indicating a transfer of wealth from long-term holders to new entrants. This pattern was observed as the market recovered from the 2015 bear floor and again before the parabolic move in March 2020.
Market Cycles: During bear markets, the RHODL Ratio tends to decrease as long-term holders dominate the supply. This was evident in the 2019 and early 2020 periods, which mirrored the conditions seen in 2015.

Overlaying RHODL with Bitcoin Price

The RHODL Ratio can be overlaid with Bitcoin's price to observe correlations. For instance, in late 2017, as Bitcoin peaked around $20,000, the RHODL Ratio entered a red zone, indicating that recently moved coins' average price far exceeded that of coins held for one to two years. This suggested that new market participants were driving the price up, while long-term holders were starting to sell.

Historically, the RHODL Ratio has shown a tendency to peak during bull markets and bottom out during bear markets. As Bitcoin matures, the extreme values of the RHODL Ratio may become less pronounced, indicating a more stable and less volatile market.