Bitcoin Miners HODL Strong: Why They're Not Selling Their BTC

One thought is that bitcoin miners tend to be very nimble to market forces. They are exercising unprecedented restraint at this moment, despite falling revenues and a declining hashrate. Recent data indicates that these miners have stopped selling their Bitcoin (BTC) reserves. After the most recent block subsidy halving, they are proving skeptics wrong by not liquidating their assets to meet operating expenses. In this article, we’ll take a look at why these changes are making people act this way. It examines on-chain data to uncover the possible effects on Bitcoin’s price stability and future growth.
Bitcoin Miners Remain Resilient Amid Revenue Decline
Despite this, Bitcoin miners have collectively added 4,000 BTC to their reserves since April, including throughout the time that Bitcoin established new all-time highs. This accumulation signals a strategic decision to hold rather than sell, contrasting with historical patterns where miners typically offload portions of their holdings during bull market rallies. Miner outflows plummet to new lows. They plummeted from a daily high of 23,000 BTC back in February 2025 to just under 6,000 BTC as of the most recent data. Miners sold an estimated 150 Bitcoin in 2025. That’s a significant drop from the almost 10,000 Bitcoin they liquidated in the same timeframe in 2024.
This trend is most remarkable in light of the extreme financial strain that miners are under right now. Daily revenues at two-month lows. Daily revenues are the most underpaid they have been in the last year. The Bitcoin network’s hashrate has fallen 3.5% over the past 10 days. This metric is a measure of the computational power that’s being used on mining. The BTC block subsidy halving reduced daily block rewards to 3.125 BTC. Usually, this is what pushes miners to sell their Bitcoin in order to offset the higher operating costs. Even in the face of these challenges, the data shows that miners are proactively making decisions to defend their incumbency.
Miners with between 100 and 1,000 BTC in their wallets, for example, have increased their balances. Since the local price lows in April, they’ve accreted 4,000 BTC and now hold 65,000 BTC. This build-up among the mid-sized miners shows that there is a deep conviction in Bitcoin’s long-term value. Analysis of miner reserves shows no significant improvement. That is a net increase of only 1,808,315 BTC on December 25, 2024, to 1,808,674 BTC on May 3, 2025, which is still under a 0.02% move! This continued stability is a sign that miners, including those from the “Satoshi-era,” are redistributing as little as possible, even relative to last year.
Institutional Interest Supports Market Stability
Bitcoin miners are demonstrating incredible resilience in the face of negative revenue and a hashrate exodus. This impressive strength comes from many forces, especially the increasing institutional interest in Bitcoin. The approval of Bitcoin ETFs has opened up potentially lucrative doors for institutional investors to interact with Bitcoin. This explosion of interest has fueled demand and strengthened the cryptocurrency’s price support. Increased institutional investment is helping miners feel more optimistic about the long-term prospects of Bitcoin. Because of this, they are under less pressure to liquidate their assets to pay expenses.
Moreover, the general mood surrounding the cryptocurrency market is bullish, even if pump and dumps cause day-to-day price movements. There’s no disputing that many analysts believe that Bitcoin prices will increase exponentially over the next inside. This optimism is based on growing national adoption, a tight supply-demand dynamic, and persistent macroeconomic uncertainty. Economic stake miners are economically staked in the Bitcoin ecosystem. They are probably being buoyed by bullish bitcoin forecasts, and they are opting to huddle their bitcoin, waiting for a big payday.
With the Miner Stress Level metric you can gauge the crisis decisions of Bitcoin miners. This measure shows us how financially healthy they are and how much selling pressure they are currently experiencing. Readings greater than 2 historically precede market tops and extreme selling pressure from miners. That said, today miners are neutral—neither too stressed out or crypto euphoric. We haven’t had a day with outflows three times as high as average since February. At the same time, the percentage of Bitcoin mined that gets transferred straight to exchanges has remained low. Since miners have not experienced a strong desire to sell their Bitcoin, even at these price levels, it means this is an indisputable bullish sign.
Strategies Employed by Miners to Adapt
Here’s how Bitcoin miners are using creative tactics to survive the storms of lower revenues and heightened competition. These strategies are giving them enough room to become profitable and not needing to sell their Bitcoin holdings.
- Optimizing Mining Operations: Miners are constantly seeking ways to improve the efficiency of their mining operations. This includes upgrading to more energy-efficient hardware, relocating to regions with lower electricity costs, and implementing advanced cooling technologies to reduce downtime.
- Diversifying Revenue Streams: In addition to mining Bitcoin, some miners are exploring alternative revenue streams, such as providing transaction validation services or participating in other cryptocurrency networks. This diversification helps to reduce their reliance on Bitcoin block rewards and provides a buffer against market volatility.
- Hedging Strategies: Miners use hedging strategies to mitigate the risk of price declines. This can involve using derivatives contracts to lock in a future selling price for their Bitcoin or taking out loans to cover operational expenses without having to sell their holdings.
In fact, bitcoin miners are increasingly deciding to sell their coins. This decision is taken even with lower revenues and a dropping hashrate indicating a change in strategic thinking in the market. Increased institutional interest, positive market sentiment and innovative adaptation strategies are some of the factors driving this trend. The implications for Bitcoin’s price stability and future growth are monumental, indicating a more mature and resilient market.

Lee Chia Jian
Blockchain Analyst
Lim Wei Jian blends collectivist-progressive values and interventionist economics with a Malaysian Chinese perspective, delivering meticulous, balanced blockchain analysis rooted in both careful planning and adaptive thinking. Passionate about crypto education and regional inclusion, he presents investigative, data-driven insights in a diplomatic tone, always seeking collaborative solutions. He’s an avid chess player and enjoys solving mechanical puzzles.