Cryptocurrency whales are buying while retail investors are selling

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: Cryptocurrency Whales Are Buying While Retail Investors Sell Original Link: https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/baleias-de-criptomoedas-estao-comprando-enquanto-investidores-de-varejo-vendem/ According to on-chain data, large cryptocurrency holders are increasing their positions in Ethereum, Chainlink, and Bitcoin, signaling strategic accumulation that contrasts with recent selling pressure driven by retail investors.

Ethereum’s staking rate reached a new milestone of 30% on Monday, locking in over US$ 120 billion worth of ETH on the network. The record indicates growing institutional confidence in the network’s value proposition.

On Tuesday, cryptocurrency mining company Bitmine Immersion staked an additional 86,848 ETH, worth US$ 279.4 million, bringing its total staked ETH to 1.77 million, valued at US$ 5.65 billion.

A newly created separate wallet also withdrew US$ 10 million in Ethereum from an exchange, further signaling strong accumulation of the largest altcoin.

“Institutions are locking funds mainly to reduce the liquidity available on exchanges, effectively altering the supply and demand balance, which can amplify the impact of any subsequent market demand,” said Jimmy Xue, co-founder and COO of the quantitative yield protocol Axis.

Acquiring a significant stake also allows these entities to participate in network governance, ensuring influence over future protocol upgrades, Xue added.

Altcoin Accumulation

The accumulation trend extends to other altcoins as well.

The 100 largest Chainlink whales have accumulated 16.1 million LINK since mid-November 2025, a period during which the asset’s price hovered around US$ 13.

“As retail investors sell out of impatience and FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), it is common to see smart money accumulate more LINK to prepare for (or cause) the next rally,” noted market intelligence platform Santiment.

This divergence is reflected in trading data.

The spot market has dominated the average order volume since mid-December, with activity from large investors (whales), while retail traders maintain dominance in the futures market, according to on-chain analysis platform CryptoQuant.

Xue noted that this divergence often signals a transfer of assets from short-term traders to long-term holders, which may indicate a bottom in selling pressure. “However, this pattern is not a guaranteed trend reversal indicator, as it can also reflect market makers’ inventory management,” he added.

Institutional Demand for Bitcoin

Bitcoin is also experiencing a significant increase in institutional demand, according to Ki Young Ju, CEO of CryptoQuant.

“577,000 Bitcoins, worth US$ 53 billion, have been added over the past year and continue to flow in,” he added, referring to the growth of custody wallets in the US, which typically hold between 100 and 1,000 BTC each.

Despite this underlying accumulation, prices faced difficulties due to Monday’s decline. Ethereum fell 3.3% in the last 24 hours, trading just below US$ 3,100, according to market data.