Ethereum Whale Dumps 40,000 ETH as the Price Crashes to $2,000

As the ETH price crashed to $2,000, Ethereum whale activity has shot up significantly. A whale that received compensation during the Genesis Trading last year in August 2024

A major Ethereum whale, known for receiving the largest ETH compensation during the Genesis Trading liquidation last year in August 2024, has sold 40,000 ETH, valued at $89.9 million through over-the-counter (OTC) trades in the past two days.

The address had received a total of 114,500 ETH valued at $358.19 million during the liquidation process, according to data from Arkham Intelligence. Out of the total, 40,000 ETH was sold in the last two days, which accounts for nearly 30% of its remaining holdings.

This comes as the ETH price has been crashing and dropped more than 13% over the last week, sparking concerns over price stability.

The unrealized profit ratio among Ethereum whales has dropped to levels not seen since the previous bear market, and the ETH/BTC ratio has been on a continuous downtrend amid the growing fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) in the market.

Although Ethereum’s price is roughly twice as high as it was during the bear market, many large-scale positions are now yielding the same profit levels as before. Notably, the whale cohort holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH has reverted to a negative unrealized profit ratio, which could spell trouble for the cryptocurrency.

On the other hand, the ETH exchange deposits have also been on the rise. Data from blockchain analytics firm ChainShot shows that over the last two weeks, investors have moved more than 60,000 ETH to exchanges, suggesting selling pressure.

Prominent crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen has drawn parallels between current ETH price action and its performance during the previous Federal Reserve monetary tightening cycle. According to Cowen, Ethereum is repeating its 2019 behavior during the Fed’s quantitative tightening (QT) phase.

The analyst stated that in 2019, ETH formed a wedge pattern converging towards August 2023 under QT conditions, and it remained in the same structure for almost a year. A brief breakout above the wedge occurred in July 2024, but it was followed by a sharp decline below the wedge in August, coinciding with the Fed’s QT policy shortly afterward.

This marked the bottom for the ETH/BTC pair in October 2024, followed by a rally in ETH/USD, though the price later dipped deeper into its regression band in November 2024.

Cowen notes that this cycle appears to be unfolding similarly, with the main difference being the extended duration of QT in the current cycle. Presently, the ETH price has broken down from its wedge pattern into its regression band. The analyst suggests there are “decent odds” that the Fed could end QT within the next few months.