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Entity-Adjusted Dormancy

Entity-Adjusted Dormancy measures the average number of days destroyed per coin transacted, adjusted to account for entities rather than raw addresses. It reveals whether old, long-held coins are waking up and entering circulation.

Definition

Entity-Adjusted Dormancy measures the average number of days destroyed per coin transacted, adjusted to account for entities rather than raw addresses. It reveals whether old, long-held coins are waking up and entering circulation.

Explanation

Bitcoin dormancy is calculated by dividing the total coin days destroyed in a period by the total volume of coins transacted. This yields the average "age" of coins being spent. Entity adjustment refines this by clustering addresses that belong to the same wallet or exchange, preventing internal transfers from distorting the metric.

When Entity-Adjusted Dormancy spikes, it means that very old coins are being moved — long-term holders or early adopters are transacting. During bull markets, rising dormancy can signal smart money distribution, as experienced holders sell coins they have held for years. During bear markets, dormancy spikes may indicate whales repositioning or consolidating rather than selling.

Low dormancy indicates that mostly young coins are circulating while old coins remain untouched. This is typically a healthy sign during accumulation phases, suggesting long-term holders are confident and only recent buyers are active. By tracking Entity-Adjusted Dormancy alongside price, analysts can distinguish between healthy market activity and late-cycle distribution by seasoned participants.

Key Takeaways

  • •Measures the average age of coins being spent, adjusted for entity clustering.
  • •High dormancy means old coins are waking up — potential smart money distribution.
  • •Low dormancy means old coins are sleeping — long-term holder confidence.
  • •Entity adjustment prevents exchange internal transfers from skewing the data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Entity adjustment clusters multiple Bitcoin addresses that likely belong to the same owner (such as an exchange's hot wallets) into a single entity. This prevents internal transfers between an entity's own addresses from being counted as real economic activity, producing a more accurate metric.

When dormancy rises during a price rally, it reveals that long-held coins are being spent — likely sold by experienced holders into market strength. This distribution by smart money has historically preceded cycle tops, making high dormancy a warning signal during euphoric phases.

Coin days destroyed is an absolute measure of total lifespan consumed by transactions. Dormancy normalizes this by dividing by transaction volume, giving the average age per coin moved. Dormancy is more useful for gauging holder behavior because it accounts for overall transaction volume.

Related Terms

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Stock-to-Flow
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NVT Ratio
The NVT (Network Value to Transactions) Ratio compares Bitcoin's market capitalization to its daily on-chain transaction volume. It functions similarly to a P/E ratio in traditional finance, measuring whether the network is overvalued or undervalued relative to its economic throughput.
Realized Cap
Realized Cap values each Bitcoin at the price it last moved on-chain rather than at the current market price. It represents the aggregate cost basis of all coins in circulation and serves as a more grounded measure of capital invested in the network.
Thermocap
Thermocap measures the total revenue paid to Bitcoin miners since the genesis block, calculated as the cumulative sum of all block rewards and transaction fees in USD terms. It represents the minimum cost of producing all existing Bitcoin.
SOPR (Spent Output Profit Ratio)
SOPR measures the profit ratio of coins moved on-chain by dividing the realized value of spent outputs by their value at creation. A SOPR above 1 means coins are moving at a profit on average, while below 1 means they are moving at a loss.

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