Ethereum Mega Whales Continue Buying Spree; Signals of Optimism or Hidden Warnings?

Amid the recent market recovery, Ethereum (ETH) has attracted attention as prominent whales embarked on a sizable accumulation of the crypto asset.

On-chain data from Santiment reveals a persistent trend among Ethereum’s largest non-exchange wallets, indicating ongoing accumulation by the top 150 self-custodial whales.

The latest figures show an all-time high accumulation, with these whales currently holding 56.25 million ETH.

Source: Santiment

Insights Into Massive Non-custodial Ethereum Accumulation

A whale, identified by the address ‘0x931’, accumulated ETH totalling 21,192  at an average price of $2,265, amounting to an investment of $48 million.

Spot On Chain, a crypto analytics platform, revealed insights into this strategic accumulation. Notably, this whale has been actively purchasing Ethereum since January 13, 2023, amassing a total of 79,500 ETH at an average price of $1,790, with a total investment of $36.84 million.

The accumulation strategy employed by this whale stands out for its precision in targeting specific retracement points, effectively maximizing potential uptrends. This calculated approach has proven successful, evidenced by the whale’s favorable win rate derived from these strategic purchases.

Interestingly, the acquisition strategy involves diverse sources, including leveraging revolving loans from the Aave lending protocol and liquidity resources.

The cumulative effect of this accumulation has yielded a significant unrealized profit of approximately 25.9% for the Ethereum whale. This substantial profit margin signals a considerable bullish position, showcasing the investor’s confidence in Ethereum’s prospects.

This surge in holdings by the largest non-exchange wallets has been steadily rising since April 2023, even during market downturns, showcasing a consistent pattern of accumulation.

Concurrently, according to Santiment, the holdings of top exchange-bound wallets remain relatively stagnant at 9.46 million ETH, signalling minimal movement of coins to exchanges for selling purposes.

Is a bullish price move imminent amid Spot ETF speculations?

The contrasting behaviours between the self-custodial whales and those tied to exchanges suggest differing strategies significant Ethereum investors pursue. 

The continual accumulation by the self-custodial whales hints at a potential optimistic outlook for Ethereum’s long-term trajectory.

Despite Ethereum’s current price hovering around $2,250, lagging behind Bitcoin’s recovery from the recent market crash, the ongoing accumulation trend among Ethereum’s largest wallets indicates a sustained interest and confidence among these significant investors.

Amid these whale accumulations, the overarching optimism surrounding the potential approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF has emerged as a notable market catalyst. The anticipated bullish sentiment accompanying a potential ETF approval for Bitcoin might trigger a broader market rally, potentially influencing Ethereum’s price surge and aligning with BTC’s movement.