Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around the $85,000 sell wall as leverage cools and new on-chain money arrives, according to Glassnode. That mix could put $96.7K in play.

The same report shows profit-taking running well above its normal range. Here is what each signal measures and what it implies for the path to $96.7K.

Why Did the $85K Bitcoin Sell Wall Matter?

A sell wall is a cluster of resting sell orders in one price zone. Buyers must absorb all of it before price can climb through.

Glassnode flagged one at $85,000 to $85,500 in its latest report. ETF inflows had faded and trading volume was low.

A week earlier, Glassnode named the next major resistance near $96.7K, the mean Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) price.

MVRV compares Bitcoin’s market cap with the value of coins at the price they last moved. It works as a gauge of holders’ standing against their cost basis.

A Sunday rally on Oct. 4 lifted the weekly close about 2% above the previous one. Bitcoin price action in Glassnode’s Monday update sits above that zone.

Is Leverage Really Taking a Back Seat?

Open interest measures the total value of outstanding derivatives contracts. When it climbs fast, traders are borrowing more to bet on price moves.

Futures open interest slipped back inside its range, near the upper edge, Glassnode found. Options open interest dropped after the quarterly expiry.

Perpetual futures are contracts with no expiry date. Selling pressure in them eased after the dip a week earlier.

However, Glassnode’s off-chain summary still rates futures as moderate and rising. Leverage has cooled rather than disappeared.

Who Is Buying If ETF Demand Has Cooled?

Spot takers, traders who buy at the market price, ended the week as net buyers. Momentum eased back inside its range.

ETF demand cooled after the prior week’s surge. Weekly netflow stayed positive but far smaller, and trading volume sat near its low band.

Meanwhile, on-chain readings are stronger. Active addresses, fees and transfer volume all rose above their high bands.

Realized cap values every coin at the price it last moved. Its monthly change stayed far above its band.

The hot capital share, which covers realized cap held in recently moved coins, rose further above its own band. Blockchain data firm Santiment separately tracked wallets holding 100 to 1,000 BTC accumulating Bitcoin since July.

SignalWhat it measuresWeek 41 readingFutures open interestValue of outstanding futures contractsBack inside range, near upper edgeOptions open interestValue of outstanding options contractsDropped after quarterly expiryETF netflowWeekly coins entering or leaving fundsPositive but far smallerRealized cap, monthly changeChange in coins valued at last-moved pricesFar above its bandShort-term holder unrealized gainsPaper profit of recent buyersWell above high bandETF MVRVFund holders’ profit versus costAbove high band

Glassnode’s Week 41 readings on leverage, ETF demand, and profit-taking. Source: Glassnode

Can Buyers Already in Profit Carry Bitcoin to $96.7K?

Close to three quarters of supply is in profit. Glassnode described profit-taking as light on Sept. 30.

In contrast, short-term holder unrealized gains and realized profit-taking now sit well above their high bands. Glassnode counts coins younger than 155 days as short-term holdings.

Short-term holder supply also rose relative to long-term holder supply, reaching the upper part of its range.

ETF holders carry the same exposure. ETF MVRV moved above its high band, which means the average fund holder’s profit exceeds its normal range.

If recent buyers keep holding, the move toward $96.7K would rest on demand rather than borrowed money. If they sell into resistance, profit-taking could turn that same demand into supply.

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