Whale activity! BlackRock transfers nearly 300 million USD in BTC/ETH to CEX, speculation on dumping as encryption ETFs continue to bleed.

The asset management giant BlackRock has made a significant on-chain transfer! Monitoring on August 5 shows that its associated wallet deposited 2,544 BTC (approximately $292 million) and 101,975 ETH (approximately $372 million) into mainstream CEX, raising concerns in the market about institutional selling. This move coincides with the outflow of $1.5 billion from the Bitcoin ETF over four consecutive days, and the Ethereum ETF briefly recovered after losing $600 million in two days. BTC is currently priced at $114,000 (down 0.39% for the day), ETH is at $3,625 (down 5% for the week), and mainstream tokens such as SOL and XRP have dropped by over 3%, with the Meme coin zone leading the decline. Despite BlackRock still holding 741,000 BTC and 3 million ETH (worth over $95.5 billion), the transfer of assets from cold wallets to exchanges is typically seen as a sign of liquidity, or may indicate that the window for institutional profit-taking has opened.

BlackRock large assets transferred to the exchange, selling doubts overshadow the market

The recent asset allocation moves by asset management and ETF issuance giant BlackRock have revealed potential selling signals. Blockchain tracking data shows that on August 5, its associated wallet transferred 2,544 Bitcoins (BTC) and 101,975 Ethers (ETH) to a mainstream CEX custody address. Based on the prices at that time, these assets were worth approximately $292 million and $372 million, respectively.

Although it has not yet been confirmed whether the funds have been sold, transferring assets from a Cold Wallet to an exchange is usually seen as a preliminary step for dumping. This move marks a potential reversal of the institution's months-long trend of continuous accumulation.

Crypto ETFs continue to bleed, institutional profit-taking pressure surges

BlackRock's on-chain activity coincides with a massive redemption wave faced by cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Twelve U.S. Bitcoin ETFs, including BlackRock's IBIT, have seen significant net outflows for four consecutive days, totaling up to $1.5 billion in withdrawals.

Ethereum ETF is also under pressure, with a net outflow of about $600 million for two consecutive days before the latest trading day. Although it ultimately saw a slight inflow of $73.2 million, the market sentiment still appears weak. The outflow of funds, coupled with the widespread decline in cryptocurrency asset prices, suggests that institutional investors may be choosing to take profits after BTC and ETH have retreated from recent highs.

The market is all in the red, with total market capitalization shrinking by over 5%

As of the time of writing, the trading price of Bitcoin is above $114,000, down 0.39% for the day, with a weekly decline of 3.6%. Ethereum has seen a deeper drop, currently reported around $3,625, down 1.4% for the day and nearly 5% for the week.

Mainstream tokens and meme coins are both facing setbacks. Large altcoins such as Solana (SOL) and XRP have fallen over 3% within 24 hours; in the meme coin zone, Bonk (BONK), Pepe (PEPE), and Popcat (POPCAT) are leading the decline, with a drop of between 3% and 5%. Data shows that the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies has fallen back to $3.79 trillion, down 5.3% from the yearly peak of $4 trillion.

Whale holdings remain abundant, short-term volatility raises alerts

It is worth noting that BlackRock's recent asset transfer accounts for only a small proportion of its holdings. As one of the largest institutional holders of Bitcoin and Ethereum in the world, it currently still holds over 741,000 BTC (approximately $84.5 billion at current prices) and 3 million ETH (approximately $11 billion). Although its long-term positions remain solid, the recent on-chain activities and ETF fund flows have intensified market concerns about tightening macro liquidity.

Conclusion: The asset fluctuations of BlackRock's Cold Wallet resonate with the outflow of ETF funds, releasing a strong market warning signal. Although substantial selling has not been confirmed, the shift in institutional behavior combined with the overall decline in the crypto market is significantly increasing short-term liquidity risks. Investors need to closely monitor the changes in on-chain data from exchanges and the flow of ETF funds, and be wary of market volatility triggered by adjustments in whale positions.

BTC0.74%
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