Selling Pressure Subsides as Whale Transactions Cool Over Past Two Months
Whale wallets have gone quiet—and the market's breathing easier for it.
For the last eight weeks, large-holder transaction volume has plunged. The kind of moves that typically signal major sell-offs or accumulation have slowed to a trickle. That cooling-off period suggests the big players are holding steady, waiting for the next catalyst instead of dumping assets.
Why the calm?
Seasoned traders know whale activity often leads price action. When the giants stop churning, volatility tends to drop. It’s a classic consolidation pattern—markets digesting gains, shaking out weak hands, and building a base for the next leg up. No massive sell orders hitting the books means less downward pressure on prices. Simple supply and demand, even if Wall Street tries to complicate it with five-page derivatives models.
What comes next?
History shows these quiet phases don’t last forever. Eventually, a news trigger, a macro shift, or pure momentum draws the whales back in. When they return, they’ll move markets—fast. Until then, enjoy the stability. Just remember, in crypto, ‘stable’ is a relative term. After all, what’s a 5% swing between friends?
So while the suits in traditional finance debate quarterly earnings and inflation prints, crypto’s biggest holders are doing what they do best: sitting on their hands until the moment’s right. Sometimes the smartest trade is no trade at all—even if that means missing out on the adrenaline rush of watching your portfolio swing like a pendulum.
CryptoQuant analysts say less whale BTC inflows signal bullish momentum
Whale Selling Pressure on Binance Collapses
“This shift in dynamics suggests that whales have changed their behavior. They are no longer selling aggressively and now appear to favor waiting.” – By @Darkfost_Coc pic.twitter.com/lnlxeD9Y6N
— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) January 20, 2026
The firm’s analyst acknowledged that large BTC holders are more cautious investors and are less sensitive to market movements than retail participants. He noted that whales typically act with greater discipline and patience in the market.
However, CryptoQuant’s analysis revealed that December was particularly challenging, even for large investors. Data from the analytics firm found that whale inflows to Binance surged at the end of November, driven by Bitcoin’s pullback from its latest ATH around $126,000.
On-chain data showed that whales averaged monthly inflows of nearly $8 billion when BTC traded below $90,000. CryptoQuant’s technical analyst believes that the phase caused a panic-driven MOVE in the crypto market. He noted a significant surge in whale transactions, especially as BTC traded below $85,000.
The on-chain analyst suggested that the whales’ behavior reflects real stress among certain large investors who offload their BTC to limit losses. He said the initiative reinforces selling pressure on the market, but the current situation looks very different. He revealed that BTC inflows have been divided by 3 and that daily transactions are far fewer than at the end of November.
CryptoQuant’s on-chain analyst also argued that the current price consolidation in Bitcoin is encouraging holding. He believes that holding significantly reduces the selling pressure by whales, which can significantly impact the market.
The analysis is similar to Ki Young Ju’s, the founder and CEO of CryptoQuant, belief that institutional demand for Bitcoin remains strong. He noted that U.S custody wallets had added roughly 577 BTC over the past year, worth more than $53 billion.
Bitcoin drops due to geopolitical tensions
Bitcoin Fear and Greed Golden Cross Signals Potential Rally
“Historical pattern analysis reveals bullish sentiment shift as 30-day MA crosses above 90-day MA for the first time since May 2025” – By @MorenoDV_ pic.twitter.com/rvXzxCtAVV
— CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) January 20, 2026
On-chain data from Glassnode revealed that small BTC holders saw unrealized losses for eight consecutive weeks. The firm noted that the short-term holders need Bitcoin to recover above $98,000 to return to profitability. Glassnode’s Short-Term Holder Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (STH-NUPL) metric, which tracks the financial positions of small BTC holders, revealed that short-term BTC holders recorded persistent losses since November 2024.
On-chain data revealed that recent investors are looking to buy BTC at $98,300. The firm stated that history shows reclaiming and holding above the short-term cost basis marks the transition from a pullback phase into a durable rally.
At the time of publication, Bitcoin is trading at $91,083, down nearly 2% over the past 24 hours. BTC has also dropped by more than 1.1% over the last 7 days, but has gained around 2.6% over the last 30 days. The digital asset had climbed to $97,000 on Monday morning, but retraced sharply to $91,800.
However, another CryptoQuant analyst noted a shift in Bitcoin’s Fear and Greed index from fear to neutral (42), signaling a potential shift away from BTC whale selling pressure. He also noted that the 30-day moving average crossed above the 90-day moving average for the first time since May, confirming the potential uptrend.
Bitcoin has lost last week’s gains, driven by President Trump’s new tariffs on European nations over his plans to gain control of Greenland. Investors have rushed toward SAFE havens like gold, pushing it to a new all-time high of $4737.50 at the time of writing.
If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.
