Key Highlights
- Major Bitcoin holders accumulated 61,568 BTC during a 30-day period.
- Wallets containing 10 to 10,000 BTC grew their holdings by 0.45%, according to Santiment data.
- Smaller wallets with less than 0.01 BTC increased by 213 BTC, showing a 0.42% gain.
- Consistent exchange outflows throughout March suggested ongoing accumulation behavior.
- Two major whales transferred significant amounts of BTC to exchanges on March 19 during volatility.
Major Bitcoin holders grew their holdings by 61,568 BTC during the previous month amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Data from Santiment showed that addresses containing between 10 and 10,000 BTC expanded their balances by 0.45%. Concurrently, the smallest wallet tier added 213 BTC, representing a 0.42% increase.
Large Holders Expand Positions During Range-Bound Trading
According to a report from Santiment, addresses holding 10 to 10,000 BTC accumulated 61,568 BTC over a one-month timeframe. The analytics platform shared this information on X, connecting the trend with consistent exchange withdrawals. These withdrawals continued across March, indicating sustained accumulation behavior. Market observers noted that substantial wallets built positions while Bitcoin traded sideways.
🐳📈 Despite dipping to $68.1K today, Bitcoin's key stakeholders are accumulating. Whales and sharks with 10-10K $BTC have accumulated 61,568 BTC (+0.45%) in the past month, which is a promising sign of an eventual breakout from this range.
🤑 Besides the current macroeconomic… pic.twitter.com/YDbRYNYH85
— Santiment (@santimentfeed) March 26, 2026
The analytics firm indicated that such patterns frequently precede upward price movements. Their analysis stated, “Ideally, the ranging pattern will break upwards when large wallets are accumulating, while retail is dumping.” They further noted this configuration has “historically been a very reliable pattern to signal the start of bull cycles.” The assessment connected whale behavior to earlier breakout periods.
Nevertheless, certain large holders moved assets to trading platforms during recent market turbulence. On March 19, two whale entities deposited tens of millions worth of BTC onto exchanges. Bitcoin’s price declined as energy costs surged following strikes on Gulf oil infrastructure. Tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran escalated throughout February and March.
Diverging Approaches Between Whale and Retail Investors
Market intelligence revealed that smaller addresses holding less than 0.01 BTC expanded their balances by 213 BTC. This marked a 0.42% growth during the identical 30-day window. Santiment’s data suggested that retail participants purchased during brief price rallies. Conversely, institutional-sized holders accumulated during sideways market conditions.
Dominick John, an analyst at Zeus Research, discussed the contrasting behaviors. Speaking with Cointelegraph, he explained, “Whales are scooping up BTC because they’re positioning ahead of a potential breakout.” He noted they quietly build positions during consolidation periods. He observed that smaller wallets pursue momentum and react to FOMO.
John further elaborated on how institutional accumulation occurs in cycles. He remarked, “Whales tend to buy in waves, so accumulation could continue if the range holds.” He suggested that excessive retail enthusiasm might trigger a temporary pause or correction. His observations came after recent large-scale exchange deposits.
Sentiment indicators demonstrated ongoing uncertainty throughout the cryptocurrency markets. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index registered a reading of 13 on Friday. This score positioned market sentiment deep within “extreme fear” range. The figure represented among the lowest measurements recorded this month.
