Gotrade News - Bhutan moved another 102.446 BTC worth roughly 7.89 million USD on Thursday (30/04). The transfer adds pressure on crypto sentiment as Bitcoin slid to 75,000 USD from 79,000 USD earlier in the week.
Key Takeaways:
- Bhutan has sold around 206.98 million USD of BTC year-to-date in 2026, leaving only 265 million USD on its books.
- Bitcoin is down 14% YTD 2026 while gold has climbed 7% YTD, strengthening the traditional safe-haven narrative.
- Ethereum holds at 2,267 USD with DeFi dominance above 50%, increasingly seen as crypto's core settlement layer.
Arkham Intelligence data shows Bhutan now holds approximately 265 million USD in Bitcoin reserves. The Himalayan nation has offloaded roughly 206.98 million USD worth of BTC since the start of 2026.
At the current selling pace, Bhutan's remaining stack could be depleted by October 2026 according to Watcher Guru analysis. The country has also paused its BTC mining operations after network difficulty climbed.
Bitcoin Lags Behind Gold
Bitcoin traded at 76,108 USD with a 1.5 trillion USD market cap per The Motley Fool report. The asset is down 14% so far in 2026 after a 5% loss across 2025.
Gold has gained 7% YTD 2026 and surged 65% over 2025 per the same data. The Motley Fool author concludes gold is the clear winner amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
The narrative of Bitcoin as digital gold is being questioned because BTC failed to rally despite supportive macro conditions. Federal Reserve balance sheet expansion and a weaker dollar lifted gold instead of Bitcoin.
Ethereum as a Defensive Pick
Ethereum traded at 2,267.05 USD with a 273 billion USD market cap on Thursday (30/04). The asset slipped 2.77% in the latest session yet remains well above its 52-week low.
The Motley Fool argues Ethereum has real utility as a global blockchain settlement layer. More than 50% of on-chain DeFi funds sit within the Ethereum ecosystem according to the article.
Stablecoin adoption by major financial institutions reinforces Ethereum's role in cross-border payments. Staking yield also delivers passive cash flow that Bitcoin lacks.
For global retail investors, US-listed crypto-exposed equities remain a liquid alternative. Names like Coinbase and Strategy trade in lockstep with Bitcoin sentiment.
Gotrade views the current Bitcoin weakness as a rotation back into classic defensive assets. Investors should cap crypto allocation and watch correlation with miners such as MARA Holdings and Riot Platforms.
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