Bitcoin (BTC) Whales Accumulate 83k BTC as Retail Investors Offload

Large Bitcoin holders, known as whales and sharks, have been accumulating BTC at a rapid pace, adding more than 83,000 to their wallets in the past 30 days, according to blockchain analytics firm Santiment.

This starkly contrasts with small retail wallets, which have decreased their positions by nearly 400 BTC during the same period. The shift suggests growing confidence among whales as retail investors opt to sell, a key finding from Santiment’s on-chain BTC data.

"Wallets holding 10-10,000 BTC (whales & sharks) have increased their collective BTC holdings by 83,105 over the past month," the firm stated on Thursday, May 11.

This level of accumulation marks a significant shift in on-chain behavior, as these investors are positioning for a potential upward move. On the other hand, wallets holding less than 0.1 BTC, typically individual or small-scale investors, have sold off 387 BTC during the same period.

The behavior among this group suggests profit-taking amid the ongoing uptrend, where Bitcoin's price surpassed $105K.

"Both of these figures are pretty big in the grand scheme of things," Santiment added.

Recent macroeconomic developments, such as the pause in trade tensions between the United States and China, may have also boosted investor confidence. This backdrop could be contributing to the steady accumulation observed among larger holders.

"With whale activity increasing and retail participation decreasing in terms of net cryptocurrency holdings, we're setting up for a move toward the previous all-time high around $110,000."

Meanwhile, crypto trading volumes have surged sharply following the announcement that the United States and China agreed to slash tariffs.

Data from Santiment reveals that Bitcoin's daily trading volume jumped from approximately $15.9 billion on May 9 to over $27.2 billion by May 11. This marks a 71% increase in just two days. The daily trading volume now stands at $64 billion after a 38% rise in the past day.

The price of Bitcoin also climbed steadily during the same period. Bitcoin now trades at $102,508, following a 2.4% drop in the past day after rallying above $105,000 on Monday. The token has now experienced an impressive 21% rise in the past month.

Altcoins, including XRP, Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and BNB, saw similar momentum. XRP led the surge in altcoin trading volume, rising from around $1.5 billion to more than $2.8 billion.

Other top tokens, including Ethereum, Solana, and BNB, also recorded notable spikes. Santiment said the volume uptick began shortly after the tariff announcement, indicating that macroeconomic developments were key in driving market activity.