Bitcoin Whales Accumulate as Addresses Holding 100+ BTC Reach Record High Amid Price Consolidation

Record Whale Accumulation Despite Market Volatility

The number of Bitcoin addresses holding at least 100 BTC has reached an unprecedented all-time high, signaling continued accumulation by large holders despite recent price volatility and a 30% decline from historic peaks ^[2]. This cohort, commonly referred to as "bitcoin whales," includes high-net-worth individuals, institutional funds, corporations, and strategic long-term holders ^[2].

According to on-chain data from Bitcoin Magazine Pro, this metric has extended a multi-year upward trend that has persisted across multiple market cycles ^[2]. The sustained increase in whale addresses historically coincides with periods of long-term accumulation and reduced selling pressure, indicating structural confidence in the asset ^[2].

Technical Setup Points to Potential Rally

Bitcoin's price action in early 2026 has shown signs of improving sentiment, with the cryptocurrency rallying toward weekly range highs since January 1 ^[1]. The asset demonstrated tightening range consolidation through daily higher lows and higher highs, reaching a weekly peak at $94,800 ^[1].

From a technical perspective, the recent rally pushed Bitcoin's price above the 20-day moving average, which is currently converging with the 50-day moving average ^[1]. After failing to maintain the $95,000 level, some traders appear to have taken profits in anticipation of a retest of lower support at the 20-day moving average near $89,400 ^[1].

Liquidation heatmap data from Hyblock reveals long liquidation clusters concentrated between $89,000 and $87,000, while short positions cluster near the weekly range high around $95,000 ^[1]. If current trends continue with sufficient volume, another attempt at the $95,000 level could trigger short covering and liquidations, potentially opening a path for a 13% rally to $101,500 ^[1].

Futures Trading Drives Price Action

Much of this week's intraday Bitcoin price movement has been driven by perpetual futures traders triggering liquidations ^[1]. Data from TRDR.io shows that approximately $1.1 billion in futures buy volume occurred as BTC rallied to $94,800 on January 5, with $100 million in short positions liquidated on the BTC/USDT pair at Binance ^[1]. Current orderbook structure suggests similar events could occur if traders push Bitcoin's price to $94,000 ^[1].

Current Market Conditions

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin was trading near $90,443, down approximately 1% over 24 hours, with daily trading volume around $45 billion and total market capitalization near $1.80 trillion ^[2]. The cryptocurrency remains tightly rangebound near recent highs, positioned roughly 2% below its seven-day peak and slightly above its weekly low ^[2].

The $90,000 to $91,000 range has emerged as a key technical support zone as markets consolidate following an early-year rally ^[2]. Bitcoin's circulating supply has climbed to nearly 20 million coins, reinforcing long-term scarcity narratives ^[2].

Whale Behavior Signals Market Confidence

While individual entities can control multiple addresses—meaning address counts don't directly equate to individual holders—changes in this metric are widely used to assess structural market trends ^[2]. The resilience of accumulation by large holders, even during consolidation periods and pullbacks, indicates limited distribution from this cohort ^[2].

Unlike price charts, address balance data reveals how Bitcoin is actually being held across the network, with growing large-balance wallets suggesting capital concentration among bigger holders—typically interpreted as a sign of long-term confidence rather than short-term speculation ^[2].