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Crypto whales add BTC and ETH as bear market nears late stage

CryptoQuant said Bitcoin whale holdings rose to about 3.06 million BTC and Ethereum wallets holding 10,000 to 100,000 ETH reached a record 19.6 million ETH during the downturn.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Market Structure

CryptoQuant data cited by Cointelegraph shows so-called whales increased balances in Bitcoin and Ether during recent market weakness, with the firm arguing the pattern fits the late stage of a bear market. The analytics company said large holders are absorbing supply, which can reduce available coins and concentrate ownership among bigger investors.

Cointelegraph reported that Bitcoin whale holdings, excluding exchanges and mining pools, rose to about 3.06 million BTC from 2.87 million BTC in December 2025. CryptoQuant said accumulation accelerated after Bitcoin dropped below $60,000 in June.

For Ethereum, wallets holding between 10,000 and 100,000 ETH collectively held a record 19.6 million ETH, while wallets with more than 100,000 ETH added roughly 1.8 million ETH since mid-2025, according to the Smart Money report referenced by Cointelegraph.

In XRP markets, CryptoQuant said average spot order sizes stayed in its “big whale” category as XRP traded between $1 and $1.20. The report also pointed to neutral 90-day taker cumulative volume delta as evidence of passive absorption rather than aggressive buying, and it used realized price comparisons to suggest the market may be approaching a bottom.

Latest closeBitcoin $64,285.60 ▲0.4%|Ethereum $1,870.51 ▲0.1%|XRP $1.060 ▼1.3%

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