October has historically been one of Bitcoin’s strongest months, often referred to as “Uptober” due to its consistent track record of gains. Over the past decade, the leading digital asset has closed October in the green more often than not, with standout years like 2017 and 2021 when the coin surged by 49% and 40% respectively.
However, this year may be different. With the crypto market showing lackluster performance in recent weeks, the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts weighing on the US dollar, and waning institutional interest, BTC faces a more uncertain path as it enters October 2025.
Uptober Faces Headwinds as BTC Retention Slips
SponsoredAccording to Glassnode, Bitcoin’s Holder Retention Rate has steadily declined since September 14 and continues to trend lower. It stands at 80.17% at press time, down 1% in the past 16 days.
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The Holder Retention Rate tracks the percentage of addresses that maintain a balance of BTC across consecutive 30-day periods. It simply measures how long holders keep their coins.
A declining retention rate reflects a lack of conviction among holders. It suggests that more investors are moving coins to exchanges or liquidating positions instead of holding for the long term.
If this continues, it could reduce buy-side stability and make BTC more vulnerable to sharper price swings over the next few weeks.
SponsoredDerivatives Market Leans Bearish
The coin’s Taker-Buy Sell Ratio has mostly recorded values below one throughout September, confirming the bearish sentiment among derivatives traders. According to CryptoQuant’s data, it sits at 0.95 at press time.
This metric measures the ratio between the buy and sell volumes in an asset’s futures market. Values above one indicate more buy than sell volume, while values below one suggest that more futures traders are distributing their holdings to prevent losses.
For BTC, the sustained bearish tilt in derivatives markets suggests that short sellers are increasingly dominant, strengthening the downside bias.
SponsoredUnless this ratio flips back above one to show renewed buy-side pressure, October could remain challenging for the leading coin.
Whale Activity Declines, Weakening Market Depth
Falling whale interest also adds to the downward pressure on BTC’s price. According to Santiment, large investors who hold between 10,000 and 100,000 BTC have reduced their holdings by 50,000 coins over the past week.
Historically, whale participation has been closely tied to BTC’s rallies, as these deep-pocketed players provide the liquidity and momentum needed to sustain upward moves.
SponsoredTherefore, the absence of such activity adds another layer of risk. Without whale demand, retail flows alone may be insufficient to drive a strong October rebound.
BTC Balances on the Edge—$107,000 or $119,000 Next?
BTC trades at $113,968 at press time. If this bearish momentum holds into October, the coin could test immediate support around $111,961.
If selloffs continue, the coin’s price could drop to $107,557 if selling accelerates.
Conversely, if demand recovers, fueled by improving macro conditions and renewed demand, BTC could attempt to reclaim resistance at $115,892 and push toward the $119,367 mark.
