Bitcoin's largest holders have stopped accumulating, mirroring the on-chain pattern that preceded the 2022 bear market.
Back
Bitcoin whale accumulation stalls as BTC demand drops 42% from peak
Bitcoin's whale and dolphin cohorts have stalled their accumulation, with CryptoQuant data showing the weakest structural demand since the 2022 bear market.
"The 1-year change in whale balances remains in negative territory, a distribution pattern directly mirroring the 2022 bear market," CryptoQuant said in a report published May 28.
Whales holding 1,000 to 10,000 BTC have been distributing for over a year, while the dolphin cohort — addresses with 100 to 1,000 BTC — has posted successively lower balance highs since September 2025. Great Whales, those with more than 10,000 BTC, added 36,019 BTC during a brief accumulation burst in November 2025 but have been flat since February 2026, according to CryptoQuant.
The simultaneous stall of both cohorts has historically preceded sustained price weakness. Bitcoin traded at $73,536 as of Thursday, down 1.7% in 24 hours and 42% below its October all-time high of $126,080. Prediction market Myriad now shows growing odds that BTC will fall below $70,000 before May ends.
Long-term holder supply hits record, but analysts call it bearish
Long-term holder supply has climbed to 15.8 million BTC, a new all-time high, but CryptoQuant analysts called the metric a counterintuitive signal. "Long-term holder supply increases when Bitcoin does not change hands at scale," the firm wrote, describing short-term demand as "insufficient" to absorb selling from long-term holders.
The on-chain deterioration extends beyond Bitcoin. Ethereum fell below $2,000 for the first time since March, touching an intraday low near $1,970. Spot Ether ETFs in the US have recorded more than $470 million in net outflows since May 7, while wallets holding more than 10,000 ETH reduced their balances by over 5% in 2026, Glassnode data shows.
CryptoQuant flagged in January 2026 that apparent whale accumulation was overstated due to distortions from exchange wallets. Once those effects were stripped out, the data showed major holders were distributing rather than accumulating.
The absence of new market entrants is the core concern. With whale and dolphin demand flatlined and long-term holders gradually selling, Bitcoin's price path depends on whether a fresh catalyst — a macro shift, ETF flow reversal, or regulatory clarity — can reignite institutional buying. Until then, the on-chain evidence points to a market where the biggest buyers are content to wait on the sidelines.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
[1] CryptoQuant says bitcoin whale and dolphin accumulation stalled as demand remains weak[2] Bitcoin Whales Are Pulling Back as Activity 'Mirrors' 2022 Bear Market: Analysts[3] Bitcoin whale and dolphin accumulation stalls, raising red flags for price outlook[4] Crypto Whales Are Quietly Positioning in Ozak AI Ahead of Expected Market Repricing[5] Ethereum price drops under $2,000; how low can it go?
