Smart Money Accumulates Bitcoin Worth US$3.2 Billion: What Does It Mean for the Price?

Whales and sharks holding (BTC) continue to accumulate over the past nine days, even as small retail investors reduce their exposure. This indicates, according to Santiment, an “optimal condition” for a potential breakout.
The differing behaviors between large and small holders occur amid increasing volatility, with Bitcoin nearly erasing all gains made during 2026.
Smart Money Builds Bitcoin Positions as Retail Investors Exit
After a challenging 2025, the new year for Bitcoin opened on a positive note. The cryptocurrency rose more than 7% in the first five days of January, supported by optimistic sentiment across various risk assets. However, this rally did not last long as market volatility returned.
Although it briefly recovered last week, overall market conditions worsened again after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on 8 European Union (EU) countries, creating new uncertainty. This news pressured risk assets and triggered a decline in the crypto market.
Data from BeInCrypto Markets shows that BTC dropped 6.25% over the past week. Yesterday, BTC price fell below US$88,000 for the first time since the beginning of the year.
At the time of publication, this largest cryptocurrency was trading at US$89,329, down 3.31% in the last 24 hours.
Despite the volatility, whales and sharks continue to increase their positions. Santiment data shows wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC have added 36,322 coins, worth US$3.2 billion at current market prices, in the last nine days. This indicates a 0.27% increase in large investor holdings.
This accumulation trend is in stark contrast to retail investor behavior. Small holders have sold 132 coins over nine days, a 0.28% decrease in their total holdings.
Typically, such patterns indicate weak holders exit during price declines, while experienced investors tend to buy when prices fall.
“An optimal condition for a crypto breakout is when smart money accumulates and retail dumps. Regardless of geopolitical issues, this pattern continues to create long-term bullish divergence,” the post explained.