Crypto whales accumulate as bear market nears late stage: CryptoQuant
Large crypto holders are accumulating Bitcoin and Ether as prices weaken, which CryptoQuant says is typical of late-stage bear markets and can reduce available supply. Bitcoin whale holdings outside exchanges and mining pools rose to about 3.06 million BTC from 2.87 million BTC in December 2025, with faster accumulation after BTC fell below $60,000 in June. Ether accumulation is also strong: wallets holding 10,000–100,000 ETH reached a record 19.6 million ETH, and wallets above 100,000 ETH added about 1.8 million ETH since mid-2025. XRP showed large-order activity too, but flow data suggested passive absorption rather than aggressive buying. CryptoQuant said realized-price levels support a possible bottoming setup: BTC traded above its realized price, while ETH traded below theirs. It warned, however, that further downside remains possible.
