Top Crypto Whale Activities That Stirred Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Altcoins

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Crypto whales were indeed busy this week. During this period, Bitcoin and Ethereum hit new highs with $BTC briefly topping $124,000 as the whole market was feeling optimistic. Meanwhile, on-chain data showed whales moving big amounts of crypto and sentiment was shaken.

A report noted a dormant Bitcoin whale (inactive for a month) woke up and moved 274 BTC off Binance, hinting that a long-term holder might be accumulating and removing supply from exchanges.

Similarly, a huge Dogecoin whale buy, over $200 million was noted to have pushed DOGE prices up. On the other hand, an Ethereum ICO whale recently sent $ETH to Kraken and this could mean selling pressure on $ETH.

Bitcoin Whales: Big Moves and Selling

Bitcoin had several whale actions this week. Notably, long term holders are selling some of their Bitcoin as prices hit new highs. On-chain data shows addresses that have been inactive for years are now moving coins, taking profits at the top. In fact ,over 300,000 BTC was reportedly sold by such long term holders in the last month.

Bitcoin hit $124,000 on Aug 14 a new all time high, then pulled back as whales sold. On-chain transactions showed this. Not long before, a quiet whale withdrew 274 BTC ($32M) from Binance. The same address also withdrew another 500 BTC ($59M). These are withdrawals, not sales, so experts believe the whale might just be consolidating or hoarding off-exchange.

On the other hand several whales moved big amounts to exchanges or to trading services. 1,018 BTC ($123M) was moved from Binance to CeFi platform Ceffu. These deposits can mean an intent to sell or trade.

Sources noted that Bitcoin’s realized price (a measure of on-chain cost basis) just broke above the long term 200-week moving average; a bullish signal. But they also pointed out that long term holders are cashing out at this peak. This selling explains why the price has been uneven.

In short; Bitcoin whale movements this week were mixed:some were accumulating (withdrawing from exchanges) and some were selling (sending coins to exchanges or trading desks). These big moves add selling pressure when prices approach all time highs and often temper the rally; even as overall market sentiment is bullish.

Ethereum Whales: Accumulation vs. Profit-Taking

Ethereum also saw whale activity. Institutional flows like ETF inflows and whale buys pushed $ETH to new highs, reaching as high as $4,757 during the week. One Binance report noted a single whale bought 33,402 ETH ($158 million) in three hours. Over ten days, that whale accumulated 379,317 ETH ($1.8B) from custodians like Galaxy Digital and BitGo.

Some whales and large holders took profits. A French crypto article reported the Ethereum Foundation and a group of large investors called the “7 Siblings” sold tens of thousands of ETH (19,461 ETH sold for $88.2M and $12.7M respectively) around the same time. Even during a rally, some big players were trimming positions.

Additionally, an ICO-era Ethereum whale moved ETH to an exchange. A wallet from the 2014 Ethereum ICO reportedly sent 1,060 ETH ($5.06M) to Kraken. This raised eyebrows because sending to Kraken (an exchange) often means a sale. Analysts caution that one transfer doesn’t mean a dump, but traders noted the timing coincided with market jitters.

Overall, Ethereum whales were bullish this week. ETF flows into ETH products were also recorded. As a result, $ETH went up 27.8% for the week. The big whale buys added momentum, but the Foundation’s profit-taking provided resistance. In total, ETH rallied strongly, driven by big whale buys, but analysts are watching those who are selling into strength.

Other Crypto Whales: Dogecoin, LINK, and More

Crypto Whale activity in other coins can move the market too. Two examples this week were Dogecoin and Chainlink (LINK).

For Dogecoin (DOGE); On-chain data showed whales bought over 1 billion DOGE (about $200 million). This massive buy pushed DOGE up 5.6%. Sources reported large-holder accumulation (whale bids) was the main driver of DOGE’s move despite some profit-taking later in the day. In other words, institutions or wealthy investors were buying the coin, driving the price up.

A crypto whale withdrew 210,924 LINK ($5.05M) from Binance. Moving LINK off an exchange reduces sell-side liquidity, so this could mean accumulation. Chainlink also had big token burns this week helped LINK’s price. So, the whale withdrawal means a holder appears to confident in LINK’s long-term value.

Other coins saw crypto whale activity too. Whales moved large USDC for leveraged trades on altcoins. One whale deposited 3.36M USDC into a derivatives exchange to short BTC, ETH, and SOL. 36.8M USDT entered Binance as well.

These activities show crypto whales target multiple assets. When whales buy altcoins, it often coincides with price spikes. When they move coins onto exchanges or into short positions it is tagged a bearish signal. But the overall altcoin market is still in the shadow of Bitcoin and Ethereum trends.

Major Crypto Whale Transfers

The table below summarizes the largest on-chain whale transactions reported during this week.

Market Impact: How Whale Moves Affect the Rally

Crypto whales have a lot of power over market sentiment. Big transfers grab traders attention. When whales move coins off exchanges as in the cases of withdrawals to cold wallets or private addresses, it usually reduces available supply and thereby calls a bullish signal. When whales move coins onto exchanges, it could be a sell signal. This week showed a mix.

Whales buying involving Bitcoin withdrawals, DOGE purchases, $500M USDT inflows have boosted bullish sentiment. For example, the on-chain removal of 3,000 BTC by one whale over several months and 274 BTC has been interpreted that the whale is HODLing and helping to prop up the rally. The big $ETH accumulation and ETF flows also lifted ETH’s outlook.

Whales selling has been a rally killer. Long term Bitcoin holders selling to take profits has slowed down Bitcoin’s move. Whales depositing ETH to Kraken and holding short positions on BTC/ETH means some whales expect or are hedging against a pullback. This can spook traders for at least a little.

So the market has been balanced. Bitcoin made new highs (above $124K, a bull-market sign) but gains stalled as whales took profits. Ethereum hit multi-year highs on strong demand but dipped after some whale selling. Smaller coins like DOGE went up on whale buying but are sensitive to any big sell.

Overall, the mid-August crypto rally continues as Bitcoin and Ethereum are near all-time highs, altcoins are also up but faces short-term resistance whenever crypto whales take profits.  Analysts say this is normal in a maturing bull market. Whales cycle between buying and selling and their moves can shake prices for a bit but the momentum remains.

Conclusion

Based on latest research, crypto whale activity this week has been a mixed bag of accumulation and profit-taking that has fueled the current rally. Notable moves include Bitcoin whales moving hundreds of BTC on and off exchanges, a large ETH whale accumulating tens of thousands of coins and billions of dollars in stablecoins flowing into trading platforms.

This led to Bitcoin hitting $124K (all-time high) and Ethereum near all-time highs as well. At the same time, many long-term holders sold some $BTC at these levels. In short, big players are both fueling the rally through big buys and ETF inflows and feeling the top through strategic sells.

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Summary

This week’s crypto whale activity has been big; whales moved large amounts of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and stablecoins. Dormant whale withdrew 274 BTC from Binance, another sent 1,820 BTC to a mining pool. A huge ETH accumulation (33,402 ETH) by one whale was reported, while an early ETH investor moved 1,060 ETH to Kraken. DOGE whales bought over 1 billion coins and the price went up. With over $500M USDT flowing into exchanges, Bitcoin and Ethereum hit all-time highs.

FAQs

What is a “crypto whale”?

A crypto whale is an individual or entity with a large amount of cryptocurrency. For example, an address with thousands of BTC or millions of ETH is a whale.

Why do crypto whale transactions matter to the price?

Whales control a lot of supply. If they send coins to an exchange, it’s often selling pressure (more coins to sell), which can drop prices. If they withdraw and hold coins (off-exchange), it reduces selling supply, which can be bullish.

Are crypto whales causing the rally?

Whales are one of many factors. Institutional inflows (like ETF buys) and broad retail interest are also driving prices up.

Should Investors be worried about whales selling?

Whales selling big positions can cause short term drops. Investors are to pay attention: if whales continue to sell, corrections will happen. But occasional profit taking is normal and prices often stabilize if demand is strong.

Glossary

Whale: An individual or entity with a large amount of a cryptocurrency. 

Long-Term Holder (LTH): A wallet or investor that has held coins for a long time (often 155+ days). 

All-Time High (ATH): The highest price ever of a cryptocurrency.

Exchange: A crypto trading platform (e.g. Binance, Kraken). 

Realized Price: An on-chain metric (total coin value at last move / circulating supply).

Stablecoin: A cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset (e.g. USDT, USDC).

ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund): A fund traded on stock exchanges. In crypto, ETFs for Bitcoin or Ethereum bring institutional money into the market.

Sources

Coinstats

Binance
Coindesk

Ainvest
Chaincatcher
Cointribune