Crypto Whale Movements at the Start of the Month: Signals of Long-Term Strategies and Large-Scale Redistribution
The activities of major whale investors and institutional players have become a primary focus at the beginning of this month. Significant movements recorded on blockchain networks reflect both long-term confidence and asset redistribution strategies designed to respond to increasingly volatile market dynamics.

A New Record in Bitcoin Accumulation

On-chain data shows that the number of whale addresses holding at least 100 BTC has reached an all-time high of 19,130 addresses, surpassing the previous peak set in 2017, according to CoinCentral. This surge in accumulation is widely regarded as a strong signal that large holders remain optimistic about Bitcoin’s price potential, despite September’s historical tendency to trigger market corrections.

Strategic Distribution Triggers Short-Term Pressure

On the other hand, some whales have taken advantage of current market conditions to distribute their holdings. Several reports mention that a whale, known in the community as a “weekend seller,” offloaded 24,000 BTC over the weekend, followed by an additional 10,000 BTC at the end of last week. This move pushed prices down to around USD 107,000 by exploiting a quiet market with low liquidity. Interestingly, other whales seized the opportunity to rotate into Ethereum, purchasing 48,942 ETH worth USD 215 million within the last four hours as part of a broader accumulation totaling 886,371 ETH valued at USD 4.07 billion, based on the same data.

Whale Focus Shifts to Altcoins and Meme Coins

A report from BeInCrypto notes that ahead of this month, several whales have also redirected their attention toward selected altcoins:

• Arbitrum (ARB): Since August 24, large wallets have added 2.1 million ARB, anticipating a breakout at the USD 0.58–0.62 level.

• Uniswap (UNI): The top 100 addresses increased their UNI holdings by 4% within just the past week.

• PEPE (meme coin): Whales accumulated an additional 2.18 billion PEPE, signaling expectations of a significant price increase.

Market Response: High Volatility and Mass Liquidations

Pressure from macroeconomic factors—particularly the release of disappointing U.S. inflation data—combined with large-scale whale distributions triggered a sharp market correction. Bitcoin’s price briefly fell below USD 109,000, while total liquidations reached USD 350 million in just a single day due to heavy selling pressure. Several traders view this pattern as part of the “whale playbook,” a classic strategy aimed at exploiting and manipulating market liquidity.