Bitcoin Whales Accumulate Amid Rising Bullish Sentiment

3 mins mins

Key Points:

Whales accumulate 56,227 BTC, suggesting bullish trends.
Retail traders profit, fearing potential bull trap.
Santiment reports higher market cap growth probability.

Santiment reports that whales have accumulated 56,227 BTC since December 17, marking a local bottom and creating a bullish divergence in the relatively flat cryptocurrency market.

This accumulation indicates potential market growth despite caution over a possible bull trap, as retail traders begin to take profits amid historical patterns of subsequent rallies.

Whale Accumulation Signals Market Shift Towards Bullish Territory

Since December 17, whales and large holders have amassed an additional 56,227 BTC. This action coincides with a local market bottom, according to Santiment. The accumulation involves wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC, suggesting a strategic maneuver in the market landscape. These large holders’ behavior contrasts with retail traders who have begun to take profits. Many view this upward trend with caution, suspecting it could be a bull trap. The bullish divergence has contributed to an improved market situation over the past 24 hours. Santiment indicates the market has now entered a bullish range with a higher probability of the total market cap growing. Despite this optimism, Santiment cautions that whale decisions can shift rapidly, potentially impacting profit dynamics.

Despite the accumulation by whales, retail traders remain cautious, taking profits and fearing a potential bull trap, which may influence market dynamics.

“The setup is ideal for bullish momentum with whales accumulating while retail fears bull trap.” — Santiment Research Team

Current BTC Dynamics and Historical Whale Patterns

Did you know? Bitcoin has seen significant whale accumulation during previous retail selling phases, often leading to market rallies, although similar patterns were not specifically noted for 2015 or 2022.

Bitcoin (BTC), currently priced at $92,402.53, has a market cap of $1.85 trillion, and dominates 58.27% of the cryptocurrency space, according to CoinMarketCap. The fully diluted market cap stands at $1.94 trillion, with the 24-hour trading volume reaching $49.97 billion, a change of 22.57%. Over the last day, BTC’s price decreased by 2.12%, but increased by 4.86% in the past week. Data shows 19,972,421 BTC is circulating, with a hard cap at 21 million, updated last at 20:18 UTC on January 6, 2026. The Coincu research team notes that the current whale activity could hint at further financial and market shifts, potentially increasing regulatory scrutiny as historical trends suggest similar scenarios have galvanized significant market responses in the past.

bitcoin-daily-chart-5467 — Bitcoin(BTC), daily chart, screenshot on CoinMarketCap at 20:18 UTC on January 6, 2026. *Source: CoinMarketCap*

The current market conditions, combined with whale activity, suggest a potential for significant shifts in market dynamics, warranting close observation from both retail and institutional investors.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.