How to recognize an exhausted pump

Why this matters

Most gains are given back by holding past the peak. Spotting exhaustion lets you take profit into strength instead of riding the reversal down.

Step by step

1. Watch unique-buyer growth flatten. The clearest exhaustion signal: unique buyers stop accelerating even as price stays high. New demand is drying up.
2. Spot volume-price divergence. Volume staying high while price stalls or makes lower highs suggests churn and distribution rather than continuation.
3. Track insider and whale sells. Dev-wallet or large-holder selling into the move means the smart supply is exiting — a strong cue to follow.
4. Read the chat. Peak euphoria — ecstatic chat, screenshots everywhere, "we're going to a billion" — often coincides with the local top.
5. Watch for rejection at highs. Long upper wicks and repeated rejections at a level show sellers overwhelming buyers.
6. Trim into strength. When several exhaustion signals align, take profit into the remaining demand rather than waiting for the dump.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding to a position into euphoria.
• Ignoring flattening unique buyers.
• Missing insider distribution.
• Waiting for the exact top instead of trimming.
• Selling into the dump rather than into strength.

Quick checklist

• ☐ Unique-buyer growth flattening noted
• ☐ Volume-price divergence checked
• ☐ Insider/whale sells tracked
• ☐ Euphoria peak recognized
• ☐ Rejections at highs spotted
• ☐ Trimmed into strength