Key takeaways:

• Bitcoin miners sold $485 million worth of BTC during a 12-day period ending Aug. 23.

• Despite miners selling, Bitcoin’s network hashrate and fundamentals remain resilient.

Bitcoin (BTC) reclaimed the $112,000 mark on Thursday, recovering from a six-week low hit just two days prior. Despite the bounce, traders remain uneasy as Bitcoin miners have been offloading coins at the fastest pace in nine months. The question is whether this signals the start of deeper trouble or if other factors are driving the recent outflows.

Miner wallets tracked by Glassnode show steady reductions between Aug. 11 and Aug. 23, with little sign of renewed accumulation since then. The last stretch of consistent withdrawals exceeding 500 BTC per day was back on Dec. 28, 2024, after Bitcoin repeatedly failed to hold above $97,000.

In the latest sell-off, miners unloaded 4,207 BTC, worth roughly $485 million, during the 12-day period ending Aug. 23. That compares with a previous accumulation phase between April and July, when miners added 6,675 BTC to their reserves. Miner balances now stand at 63,736 BTC, valued at more than $7.1 billion.

While these flows are relatively small compared with allocations from companies like MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Metaplanet (MTPLF), they tend to fuel market speculation and FUD. If miners are facing tighter cash flow, selling pressures could escalate unless profitability improves.

Over the past nine months, Bitcoin has gained 18%, but miner profitability has dropped by 10%, according to HashRateIndex data. Rising mining difficulty and weaker demand for onchain transactions have weighed on margins. The Bitcoin network continues to self-adjust to support an average block interval of 10 minutes, but profitability remains a concern.

The Bitcoin hashprice index currently stands at 54 PH/second, down from 59 PH/second a month ago. Even so, miners hardly have grounds to complain: the indicator has improved dramatically from levels seen back in March. According to NiceHash data, even Bitmain’s S19 XP rigs from late 2022 remain profitable at $0.09 per kWh.

Bitcoin miners face AI competition but remain resilient

Some investor disappointment stems from a growing shift toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. This narrative gained traction after TeraWulf (WULF) struck a $3.2 billion deal with Google in exchange for a 14% equity stake. The funds will be used to expand TeraWulf’s AI data center campus in New York, slated to launch operations in the second half of 2026.

Related: Bitcoin to hit $1.3M by 2035 as institutions drive demand–Bitwise

Other miners are following a similar pivot. Australian firm Iren, formerly known as Iris Energy, has accelerated the acquisition of Nvidia GPUs and is building a liquid-cooled AI data center in Texas, along with a new site in British Columbia that will hold as many as 20,000 GPUs. Meanwhile, Hive, previously Hive Blockchain, has committed $30 million to expand GPU-powered operations in Quebec.

Despite the buzz around AI, Bitcoin’s own fundamentals remain solid. Network hashrate is nearing an all-time high at 960 million TH/second, up 7% in the past three months. That strength counters fears about miners’ net outflows or the lack of profitability gains across the sector.

There’s no evidence that miners are under immediate stress to liquidate positions, and even if selling continues, inflows into corporate reserves are more than capable of countering the effect.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-miners-cash-out-485m-as-btc-struggles-to-hold-112k-red-flag/feed/ 0 55630 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/how-to-tell-if-a-coin-is-a-red-flag/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/how-to-tell-if-a-coin-is-a-red-flag/#respond Sat, 09 Aug 2025 09:48:52 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/how-to-tell-if-a-coin-is-a-red-flag/

Ladies and gents, welcome to the final episode of the Crypto 101 series.

(…final for now. Maybe )

We’ve already covered the basics: different ways to trade, where to trade, and where to store your coins.

But that still leaves one big question: how do you figure out what to actually buy?

Which is exactly what we’re looking at today. Let’s roll

Buying crypto isn’t just about guessing what’ll go up. It’s about understanding what you’re buying – and why people might find it valuable.

So, if you don’t wanna get rugged on your first day, it’s worth asking yourself these questions before investing in a project:

1/ What does the coin do?

Is this token useful, or is it just… there?

You want a clear purpose. For example:

• ETH powers smart contracts on Ethereum;

• UNI lets users vote on changes to the Uniswap protocol.

To find this stuff out, check the project’s whitepaper. You don’t have to read every word – just enough to find out:

What problem are they solving? How? Is their solution unique, useful, or already done better elsewhere?

If the project itself can’t answer that clearly, that’s a

2/ Who built it – and are they legit?

The team behind a project can make a big difference.

Sure, there are some anonymous devs who’ve built incredible things, but often, you wanna see real names with real experience.

Do a little digging. What have they worked on before? Do they have industry connections? Are they backed by known VCs or integrated into other platforms?

For example:

• Solana was started by former Qualcomm engineers;

• Polygon has partnerships with giants like Reddit and Disney.

If all you find about the team is a vague website, a generic roadmap, and a Telegram group run by someone named “CryptoKing420” – that’s a

3/ How do the tokenomics work?

Tokenomics – or token economics if we’re talkin’ full government names – is basically how a crypto token is structured.

And this stuff matters a lot. You could have the smartest project ever, but if the token model doesn’t make sense, it can still fall apart.

Here are a few things worth checking:

Is there a max supply?

If not, new tokens can be minted endlessly, which could increase supply and impact price stability over time.

A capped supply (like Bitcoin’s) helps limit inflation.

Who holds most of the supply – early investors, the devs, or the community?

If most tokens are held by insiders or early investors, there’s a risk of them dumping later and crashing the price.

A more even distribution reduces that risk and shows stronger community support.

How are new tokens released?

Projects often have “vesting schedules” that unlock tokens over time.

If a massive unlock is coming soon, that could flood the market and drag down the price, especially if insiders decide to sell.

And lastly, why would anyone want to hold this token long-term?

Does it give access to features, voting rights, staking rewards, discounts? Or is it just something people buy only because they hope it’ll moon?

If there’s no strong use case or reason to hold, long-term demand might be limited – and without demand, prices usually don’t hold up either.

TL;DR: if a token has unlimited supply, no use case, and is mostly held by a small group of early buyers – that’s not a long-term investment. It’s a setup for a pump-and-dump.

Strong tokenomics won’t guarantee success, but bad ones often lead to failure.

4/ What are the market metrics saying?

Some basic numbers can offer extra context:

Market cap gives you a rough idea of how big (or risky) the project is.

Volume shows how actively the token’s being traded.

Liquidity tells you how easily you can move in and out without affecting the price too much.

A token with good market metrics is often more sustainable in the long run.

5/ Is the tech actually any good?

This part gets overlooked way too often. But if you’re gonna invest in a token, you should know if it’s built on solid ground.

Start by looking at the underlying tech:

What kind of blockchain is it on? Can it scale? Is it secure? Has it been hacked before – and if so, how did the team respond?

Another tip: check how often the project is updated.

Is the GitHub active? Are developers still building?

A quiet repo = a quiet project = probably not what you want.

Take Polkadot, for example – it’s built for flexibility and security, with a consistently active dev team. That kind of steady progress tends to reflect long-term commitment.

6/ What’s the community vibe?

Crypto isn’t just code – it’s people.

A strong, engaged, non-bot community can drive adoption and build trust.

Look for:

Activity on Discord, X, Reddit;

Real discussions (not just “wen moon”);

Community-led initiatives or governance proposals

A token with a strong community behind it may have more support and staying power.

7/ Are there regulatory risks?

Not the fun part – but still important.

Keep an eye on whether the token might be considered a security in the US or elsewhere. Is the team operating transparently? Are they actively trying to comply with regulations? Are there lawsuits, bans, or investigations in major markets?

You don’t need a law degree, but if something looks shady, it’s worth being cautious.

So yeah, reading a coin isn’t just checking charts – it’s about doing a bit of digging. And if you haven’t looked into the basics, you’re probably making a bet, not an informed decision.

Asking the right questions gives you more context – and that can be helpful no matter what the market’s doing.

Oh, and before you go – if you liked this week’s beginner-friendly breakdowns, reply or tap that rating button below to let me know. I might cook up something like this again in the future

Have a chill weekend, don’t get rugged, and I’ll see you Monday with the usual format!

Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

About Author

Arslan Butt is an experienced webinar speaker, market analyst, and content writer specializing in crypto, forex, and commodities. He provides expert insights, trading strategies, and in-depth analysis…

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Last updated: 

August 7, 2025

Bitcoin is holding at $116,830 as mainstream adoption is taking off in the US. Sheetz, a popular convenience store chain with locations across multiple states, is offering 50% off all purchases between 3 pm and 7 pm when paid with cryptocurrency through Flexa.

The “Crypto Crave & Save” promotion is designed to get people spending real crypto in the real world, with payments converted to fiat instantly to protect merchants from volatility.

It’s spreading. Steak ‘n Shake just reported saving 50% on payment fees by using Bitcoin over credit cards. These are signs that US businesses are starting to view digital assets as not just investments but as functional payment tools.

Regulatory Divergence Between the U.S. and EU

Across the Atlantic, the European Banking Authority has finalized draft rules giving “unbacked” crypto assets like Bitcoin a 1,250% risk weight, meaning EU banks would need €12.5 million in capital for every €1 million in BTC holdings.

While the measure may limit crypto exposure in Europe, it also formalizes Bitcoin’s place in the financial system, a step analysts say could strengthen long-term adoption.

By contrast, U.S. policy is moving in the opposite direction. President Donald Trump announced plans to allow cryptocurrencies in 401(k) retirement plans, opening the door to a $9 trillion market. Ether rose 4% on the news, and crypto-related equities rallied, with Coinbase gaining 3%, Galaxy Digital 6%, and Bitmine Immersion 8%. Galaxy CEO Mike Novogratz called it a “milestone” for integrating digital assets into mainstream finance.

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) Technicals Signal Bullish Continuation

From a charting perspective, Bitcoin remains in a bullish flag pattern that has been consolidating since late July’s high of $123,255. The pattern’s lower bound aligns with an upward trendline from April and the 50-day SMA at $113,154 — a key support confluence that has drawn consistent buying interest.

Momentum is turning positive, with the daily RSI at 54 after bouncing from earlier oversold conditions. Defending the 0.382 Fibonacci retracement at $113,682 has reinforced the case for an upside move. A breakout above $117,350 could open a path back to $123,255, with further targets at $126,981 and $131,574.

If $113,150 fails, however, short-term sentiment may turn cautious, exposing $110,725 and $107,768. Traders eyeing an entry may look for a high-volume move through $117,350 to confirm the breakout.

Bitcoin Price Outlook into Q4

The combination of rising retail adoption, favorable U.S. policy shifts, and a supportive technical structure gives Bitcoin a bullish bias heading into the fourth quarter.

If the bullish flag resolves upward, it could mark the start of a new leg higher, potentially paving the way toward the $250K–$500K price projections some analysts are targeting for 2025.

With institutional and retail demand converging, BTC’s current consolidation may be less a pause than a launchpad.

New Presale Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) Combines Bitcoin Security With Solana Speed

Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is the first Bitcoin-native Layer 2 powered by the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), built to supercharge the Bitcoin ecosystem with fast, low-cost smart contracts, dApps, and meme coin creation.

By merging Bitcoin’s security with Solana’s performance, it unlocks powerful new use cases – all with seamless BTC bridging.

The project is audited by Consult and built for scalability, simplicity, and trust.

Investor interest is surging, with the presale already surpassing $7.4 million and only a small allocation remaining.

HYPER tokens are currently available at just $0.012765, but that price is set to rise in the next 3 days.

You can buy HYPER tokens on the official Bitcoin Hyper website using crypto or a bank card.

Click Here to Participate in the Presale[/cta

Independent market engineer Egrag Crypto has posted an updated weekly XRP/USD chart for X. The entire visual 2024 and beyond 2024 progress framed as flag electrodes for the classic Bull flag continuation pattern, claiming that the following ten weeks of drift was traced by the high-slanted sonlanted high the nowranted nowands hardened nowands hardened drift of the crowd wrapped in nutritious rails nearby. Magenta.

XRP is ready for breakout

“The rising success rate is around 67-70%,” the analyst wrote, citing bulk pattern recognition studies that support the statistical edge of the setup. The XRP is trading for nearly $2.30. This is the value marked on the chart by a blue dotted horizontal line intersecting the flag body.

Related readings

Below that, the $1.50 white line records the breakout shelf in late 2024. This serves as support for the first higher time frame, but is deep horizontally, about $0.60 from the base where the current cycle began. Passing the entire structure is a yellow moving average rising, consistent with the 20-week EMA (currently $2.21).

From that foundation, the engineer derives three measured moving targets. “In long-term breakouts, we prefer log charts, especially in cryptography, because of exponential growth in the short term,” he explained. Based on that, the log scale projection estimates the perfect height of the flag electrode and lands at $18.00. Advance’s linear projection treats an equal dollar prints a significantly lower $5.50. Egrag, who shoots what he describes as “a liquidity-adjusted average, my favorite way of crypto targets,” settles at $11.75.

Related readings

Because the orderbook for digital assets is relatively thin, analysts overlay 15-20% fluctuation bands, increasing log targets to around $20.70-$21.60, averaged between $13.51-$14.10, and linearly between $6.33-$6.60. “Crypto liquidity is still small compared to legacy markets, so we usually apply volatility of 15-20%. So the target can be scaled in both ways,” he warned.

The disclaimer printed directly on the graphics repeats that numbers and targets are “simulation only, not financial advice.” Still, the roadmap is clear for EGRAG. As long as XRP defends the mid-flag zone, nearly $2.30, and critically, a structural pivot of $1.50, engineers argue that the ultimate breakout could push the token into double-digit territory.

At press time, the XRP trades for $2.28 and hovers just below the top trend line of the Bull Flag. Overcoming resistance could accelerate XRP prices to $2.50 and $2.71, respectively, towards retracement levels of 0.5 and 0.618 Fibonacci, respectively.

Featured images created with dall.e, charts on tradingview.com

Key takeaways:

• Solana’s stablecoin supply rose by 156% in 2025, to hit a new record at $12 billion.

• Solana’s TVL grew by 25% to $7.65 billion, with 27.7% decentralized exchange volume share, leading Ethereum and BNB Chain.

• SOL price formed a bull flag, with a price target at $220.

Solana’s native token, SOL (SOL) failed to maintain its bullish momentum after reaching $156 on April 25, but an assortment of data points suggests that the altcoin’s upside is not over.

SOL stablecoin market cap hits $13 billion

Solana’s stablecoin supply has skyrocketed by 156% in 2025, surging past $13 billion to hit a new all-time high.

Stablecoins on Solana recently surged past $13B in issuance, setting a new ATH@calilyliu on why Solana is purpose-built for moving digital dollars at internet speed pic.twitter.com/WYPPg0LEG6

— Solana (@solana) May 5, 2025

Circle’s USDC (USDC) remains the stablecoin of choice for Solana users, with a 77% market share.

Stablecoins are integral to Solana’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, driving liquidity and increasing SOL demand as it’s used for transaction fees and staking, potentially pushing its price upward.

Increased stablecoin inflows historically correlate with price rallies, as seen between December 2023 and August 2024, when a 230% rally in SOL price was accompanied by a 160% increase in stablecoin inflows from $1.55 billion to $4.06 billion.

Solana TVL and transaction count on the rise

Solana remains the second-largest blockchain in terms of total value locked (TVL) and ranks first in DEX volumes. 

Solana’s TVL has risen from $6.1 billion on April 9 to $7.65 billion on May 6, an increase of over 25% in almost 30 days.

Positive signs include a 44% increase in deposits on Sanctum, a liquid staking application, and 25% growth on Jito and Kamino.

Solana’s daily transaction count has also increased by 25% over the last month to 57.77 million transactions.  

While Ethereum and BNB Chain provide competition in terms of onchain volumes, the Solana network is the undisputed leader with daily DEX volumes standing at $2.61 billion at the time of writing. Solana also commands a 27.7% DEX volume market share, ahead of BNB Chains and Ethereum’s 18%.

SOL bull flag points to $220

SOL price has formed a bull flag chart pattern in the daily timeframe, as shown in the chart below.  

A bull flag pattern is a bullish setup that forms after the price consolidates inside a down-sloping range following a sharp price rise.

Bull flags typically resolve after the price breaks above the upper trendline and rises by as much as the previous uptrend’s height. This puts the upper target for SOL price at $220, up 53% from the current price.

Crypto analyst RisHad said that SOL price needs to hold the $120 – $130 support to increase the chances of moving toward $178 and beyond.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.