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On-chain Metrics 1 min read

NUPL — Net Unrealized Profit/Loss

Also known as: Net Unrealized Profit Loss

Share of unrealized profit or loss sitting in the market, normalized by market cap — a classic greed and fear indicator.

Definition

NUPL (Net Unrealized Profit / Loss) is the share of unrealized profit or loss baked into the market cap.

NUPL=Market CapRealized CapMarket Cap\mathrm{NUPL} = \frac{\mathrm{Market\ Cap} - \mathrm{Realized\ Cap}}{\mathrm{Market\ Cap}}

NUPL zones

RangeZoneMarket emotion
< 0CapitulationPanic, bottom
0 — 0.25Hope / FearAccumulation
0.25 — 0.5Optimism / AnxietyMid-bull
0.5 — 0.75Belief / DenialGreed
> 0.75Euphoria / GreedCycle top

How to use it

NUPL is great at labeling cycle phases. Combined with MVRV Z-Score it answers two questions at once: «how much paper profit is on the table?» and «how stretched is the market vs history?».

Where to find it in Exum

Data Layers → On-chainNUPL layer.

Frequently asked

How is NUPL different from MVRV?
MVRV is a ratio, NUPL is a normalized difference. NUPL is easier to compare across time because it stays bounded between roughly -0.5 and +0.9.
Can NUPL turn negative?
Yes — negative NUPL means the average market participant is underwater. This is the Capitulation zone and historically marks cycle bottoms.