Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Whales Buy Downturn as Retail Traders Flee Panic

Bitcoin's market dynamics have taken a dramatic turn as large holders—commonly known as whales—accumulate record volumes of the cryptocurrency, signaling renewed institutional confidence amid a broader market correction. According to on-chain analytics, Bitcoin whales have added over 45,000 BTC in the past week, marking the second-largest weekly accumulation of 2025, as Cryptobriefing reported.

This surge contrasts sharply with the struggles of newer investors, who have faced heavy losses as prices slip below critical cost bases, as CoinDesk reported.

The recent price action has exposed stark divergences in market behavior. While whales with holdings exceeding 10,000 BTC have been consistent sellers since August, smaller investors with balances below 1,000 BTC have remained steady accumulators, according to CoinDesk. This divide has deepened as Bitcoin consolidated below $110,000, triggering panic-driven exits from short-term holders. Between November 4 and 9, these new whales booked over $1.3 billion in losses, as FXStreet reported. "Sustained losses of this magnitude suggest forced selling or panic-driven exits, typically driven by leveraged positions being unwound or loss aversion among late entrants," he noted.

Meanwhile, large institutional players have capitalized on the turmoil. Wallets holding 1,000–10,000 BTC added approximately 29,600 Bitcoin in the last seven days, raising their combined balance from 3.436 million to 3.504 million BTC, as BeInCrypto reported. Analyst JA Maartun described this as the first major accumulation phase since late September, indicating that "smart money" is buying weakness rather than fleeing it. This behavior is reinforced by data showing that Great Whales (>10K BTC) more than doubled their holdings in a single week, rising from 26.8767K BTC to 62.8957K BTC, as FXStreet reported.

The accumulation comes amid macroeconomic headwinds, including the Federal Reserve's cautious stance on rate cuts and lingering derivatives unwinds. Yet, these conditions have created a liquidity vacuum that whales appear to be exploiting, as BeInCrypto reported. By absorbing roughly four times the weekly mining supply, large holders are tightening exchange liquidity and reinforcing the $100,000 support level. This strategy mirrors historical patterns where institutional accumulation during high fear periods precedes price recoveries, as BeInCrypto reported.

However, the path forward remains uncertain. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju has warned that short-term bearish risks persist if ETF inflows and institutional buying slow, as Coinotag reported. "If Strategy and ETF buying cool off, sellers will dominate again," he cautioned. This warning is amplified by on-chain data showing that older "OG" whales—holders with seven-year-plus BTC—have sold over 1 million BTC since June, with frequent $100 million to $500 million outflows, as Ki Ecke reported. While prices have held better than in past cycles, the market remains vulnerable to cascading liquidations if key supports like $93,000 break, as Ki Ecke reported.

For now, the interplay between whale accumulation and retail panic suggests a potential base formation. Technical indicators show Bitcoin consolidating between $100,000 and $107,000, while the Fear & Greed Index sits in "Extreme Fear" territory, as BeInCrypto reported. Historically, such divergence has preceded rebounds, and analysts like GugaOnChain argue that the current whale activity could lay the groundwork for a recovery toward $115,000–$120,000, as FXStreet reported.

As the market navigates these crosscurrents, the coming weeks will be critical. Whether this is a final shakeout or a prelude to deeper structural stress will depend on the sustainability of whale buying and the resilience of institutional demand, as FXStreet reported. For now, the data underscores a market at a crossroads—where short-term volatility coexists with long-term optimism.