Bitcoin (BTC) Could Be Gearing Up for Major Volatility as Whales Accumulate

Bitcoin could be gearing up for major volatility as over 170,000 BTC worth more than $14 billion was moved from wallets held for 3-6 months, says Cryptoquant.

Cryptoquant has detected an interesting development in the mid-term bitcoin holders (3-6 months) as over 170,000 BTC, valued at over $14 billion, was moved from these wallets.

It notes that these large movements from mid-term bitcoin holders often signals that something major is about to happen. Historically, these wallet movements have arrived right before major price swings, be it a breakout rally (green boxes) or a sharp drop (red boxes).

Specifically, this group of bitcoin holders are usually more reactive than long-term investors but tend to be calmer than short-term traders, which often acts key during market transitions. Similar patterns were noted before bitcoin’s bull run in 2021 and the 2022 crash.

Analysts note that although the direction is not clear, this is a warning sign of major volatility ahead.

Bitcoin has lately been stuck between $75,000 and $87,000 recently due to the global trade tensions triggered by Trump’s tariffs. This has added to the uncertainty in the markets impacting investor confidence.

Whales Bullish Despite Economic Pull Back

Notably, bitcoin whales and large investors are showing strong bullish sentiment despite the economic headwinds. According to data from Glassnode, whales and sharks are now accumulating BTC at over three times the yearly issuance rate, which marks the fastest pace in bitcoin’s history. Besides, exchanges are witnessing historic outflows which indicates a shift towards long-term bitcoin holding and self-custody.

According to latest data from lookonchain, whales are stacking up bitcoin. A wallet linked to Abraxas Capital recently withdrew 505 BTC worth over $42 million Binance. Notably, over the past four days, the wallet has withdrawn a total of 2,949 BTC worth $259 million. Such large moves indicate institutional confidence in bitcoin.

Analysts Note Key Levels

Analyst Scott Melker recently pointed out that bitcoin has finally closed a strong daily candle well above the 50-day moving average for the first time in months. This could be a positive sign hinting a a potential short-term trend reversal. However this is less convincing as the breakout happened with a low trading volume,

He notes that for bitcoin to show real strength, it needs more buying and to break above $88,804 and the 200-day average. “Bulls need to follow through with strength”, he said.

While analyst Ali Martinez shared in a recent post that with bitcoin currently consolidating in a tight range, a breakout over $86,000 or a breakdown below $83,000 could determine its next big move.