Bitcoin News Today: A $17B Bitcoin Whale's Move Shook the Market—But Was It a Warning or a Signal?

A significant sell-off in Bitcoin over the weekend, attributed to a whale transaction, triggered a flash crash and large-scale liquidations. Data from CoinGlass indicates that a sell order of 24,000 BTC, valued at $2.7 billion, caused a 3.74% price correction within ten minutes. This resulted in $623 million in liquidations across the market [1]. The transaction, noted by on-chain analyst Sani, involved a whale with a massive 152,874 BTC, worth approximately $17.3 billion, who still maintains a large holding despite the recent dump [2].

The price correction brought Bitcoin down to a low of $110,484 before recovering to trade near $113,169 by the weekend’s end, according to CoinGecko. Analysts have pointed out that the dip does not necessarily indicate bearish sentiment but may be a natural part of market maturation. Vijay Boyapati, a crypto and economics expert, highlighted that whale selling is often a sign of healthy market activity and essential for the full monetization of Bitcoin [3].

Market conditions, including thin liquidity over the weekend and an accumulation of leverage in long positions, may have amplified the impact of the whale’s sell-off, according to Sean Dawson of on-chain options platform Derive. Despite the volatility, the bullish sentiment remains strong, with options data showing significant positions around $135,000 to $155,000 strike prices [1]. Alex Krüger, a crypto trader, noted that a recovery above $113,500 to $114,000 could ease upward momentum, suggesting the dip was a temporary setback rather than a bearish signal [3].

The broader crypto market also showed mixed responses. While Bitcoin faced a short-lived rally following dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which hinted at possible rate cuts in September, institutional demand for Bitcoin ETFs remained subdued. According to SoSoValue data, Bitcoin spot ETFs experienced outflows for six consecutive days, totaling $1.17 billion, the highest since late February [4]. However, Ethereum and other altcoins demonstrated more resilience, with Ethereum spot ETFs recording inflows of $288 million and $341 million on Thursday and Friday, respectively [4].

XRP, in contrast, faced downward pressure, trading below its $3.00 support level amid declining futures funding rates. A low funding rate indicated a reduction in leveraged long positions among traders. The technical indicators for XRP and Bitcoin suggest ongoing bearish pressure, although some analysts believe a recovery from near-oversold conditions could attract new buyers [4].

The whale selling activity also had a cascading effect as traders began liquidating positions, exacerbating the price decline. Jacob King of WhaleWire noted that panic selling by traders in response to the whale’s move intensified the crash, with most of the capital being redirected into Ethereum. This trend aligns with broader capital rotation in the crypto market, with Ethereum seeing significant inflows and staking activity. The movement of large sums into Ethereum highlights the ongoing diversification of crypto investment strategies [3].

Despite the weekend’s volatility, market observers remain cautiously optimistic. The dip has been interpreted as a short-term momentum shift rather than a long-term bearish trend. As traders and analysts closely monitor key levels and market data, the coming days will likely determine whether Bitcoin can sustain a recovery above $113,500 and regain bullish momentum [3].

Source: [1] What Bitcoin's Weekend Dip Means for the Crypto Bulls (https://decrypt.co/336618/what-bitcoins-weekend-dip-means-for-the-crypto-bulls) [2] What Bitcoin's Weekend Dip Means for the Crypto Bulls (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoins-weekend-dip-means-crypto-035151526.html) [3] Bitcoin Whale Sells 24,000 BTC Triggering Flash Crash, Still Holds Over $17B Worth BTC (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-whale-sells-24-000-061435431.html) [4] Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP edge lower amid ... (https://www.mitrade.com/insights/news/live-news/article-3-1066905-20250825)