Are Retail Investors Making Their Move as Bitcoin (BTC) Approaches $95K?

Throughout the history of cryptocurrency, retail investors have played a pivotal role during various price surges.

Nonetheless, the recent market cycle that many attribute to post-US election dynamics appeared to be missing these participants. However, fresh insights from data analytics platforms suggest their return may be imminent.

Are They Back?

A notable perspective on this situation comes from Hunter Horsley, the CEO of Bitwise, who stated this week that the latest surge in Bitcoin’s price—from $75,000 to $95,000 in a short span—was primarily spurred by institutional investors, financial advisors, corporations, and even government entities.

He emphasized that this wide range of investors could ultimately strengthen the cryptocurrency market, although he pointed out that retail traders still seem to be absent, as indicated by low Google search activity, a common gauge for their engagement.

On the other hand, the analytics firm Santiment offered a contrasting viewpoint. They reported that following the notable $20,000 price increase, retail traders appear to be gaining confidence in the crypto landscape, evidenced by a surge in social media activity featuring bold Bitcoin forecast discussions, indicative of investor sentiment.

However, Santiment cautioned that Bitcoin often trends in the opposite direction of popular sentiment, particularly when the masses shift their focus to speculative assets like meme coins, which have recently surged in value after a prolonged period of stagnation.

As Bitcoin has hit a peak of $95.5K this Monday, retail traders continue to demonstrate optimism in crypto markets. Social media discussions about high BTC predictions significantly surpass those about lower predictions.

Historically, bullish traders prefer… pic.twitter.com/WJv7yNCYcF

— Santiment (@santimentfeed) April 28, 2025

Increase in Short-Term Holdings

According to findings from IntoTheBlock, a similar pattern has emerged, showing that short-term traders, largely consisting of retail participants, have experienced a “substantial rise” in their balances over the past week. If this trend continues, it may indicate that the current movement represents more than a mere relief rally and could signal the beginning of a more extensive upward trend.

Bitcoin saw a significant increase in the balances of short-term traders last week, suggesting renewed speculative interest.

If this trend continues, it supports the idea that the current movement is beyond just a relief rally and may be the first step of a larger uptrend. pic.twitter.com/uUfojXK4Dl

— IntoTheBlock (@intotheblock) April 28, 2025