Coinbase Sees Massive SHIB Exodus as Whale Positions for Potential Meme Season Surge
In a significant move signaling strategic accumulation, a major shiba inu (SHIB) investor has withdrawn a staggering 169.13 billion SHIB tokens from the Coinbase exchange over a 17-hour period. The series of six transactions, totaling approximately $1.49 million in value, represents one of the most notable SHIB movements from a centralized exchange in recent months and suggests a whale is positioning for a potential rally in the meme coin sector. The methodical nature of the withdrawals—ranging from 11 billion to 81 billion SHIB per transfer—points to calculated accumulation rather than routine trading or profit-taking activity. Data from blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence indicates that the tokens have not been moved from the receiving wallet since the transfers were completed, reinforcing the interpretation that this is a long-term holding strategy. This accumulation occurs against a backdrop of renewed interest in the broader meme coin ecosystem, with many analysts watching for signs of a sustained rally. Large withdrawals from exchanges like Coinbase are often interpreted as bullish signals, as they reduce the immediate sell-side pressure on the asset by moving tokens into cold storage or private wallets. For SHIB, which has a massive circulating supply and a community-driven valuation, such sizable movements by a single entity can have an outsized psychological impact on the market. The whale's actions may reflect confidence in SHIB's fundamentals, upcoming ecosystem developments like Shibarium layer-2 scaling, or a broader bet on a resurgence of the meme coin narrative in the 2025 market cycle. This event underscores the continued influence of large holders in the volatile meme coin space and highlights how exchange flow data from platforms like Coinbase serves as a critical on-chain metric for gauging investor sentiment and potential price direction.
169B SHIB Whale Sweeps Coinbase, Eyes Potential Meme Rally
A Shiba Inu whale has withdrawn 169.13 billion SHIB tokens from Coinbase in a series of six transactions over 17 hours, totaling approximately $1.49 million. The methodical accumulation—ranging from 11 billion to 81 billion SHIB per transfer—suggests strategic positioning rather than routine exchange activity. Arkham Intelligence data reveals no subsequent movements from the receiving address, indicating a holder building a long-term stake.
The timing coincides with SHIB's price stagnation NEAR $0.0000088, fueling speculation about an impending meme coin rally. Unlike typical large transfers that employ obfuscation tactics, these transactions were executed transparently through a single Coinbase hot wallet, underscoring the whale's deliberate market stance.
Solana and Base Rivalry Escalates Over Cross-Chain Bridge
The competition between solana and Base has intensified following the launch of a cross-chain bridge designed to facilitate asset transfers between the two networks. Base introduced the bridge on December 4, leveraging Chainlink's CCIP and Coinbase infrastructure, with initial integrations including Zora, Aerodrome, and other Base-native applications.
Solana developers have accused Base of orchestrating a 'vampire attack' under the guise of interoperability. The tension traces back to September 2025, when Aerodrome co-founder Alex Cutler predicted Base would 'flip Solana' during a Basecamp event. Solana advocate Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius Labs, quickly countered the claim.
Vibhu Norby, founder of Solana creator platform DRiP, publicly criticized Base's intentions, sharing footage of Cutler's remarks and asserting, 'These are not partners; if they had it their way, Solana WOULD not exist.' Jesse Pollak, a key figure at Base, responded defensively, sparking further debate over the bridge's true implications for both ecosystems.
