Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Whales Stir Market Storms—Ancient Coins Awaken, Shaking Price Floors

Bitcoin whale activity in August 2025 has sparked renewed attention in the cryptocurrency market, particularly due to a significant volume of ancient BTC—coins dormant for over five years—re-entering circulation. According to on-chain analysts, 2,300 such coins were moved during the month, signaling potential shifts in whale portfolios and market sentiment. These transactions, typically associated with large-scale transfers, often precede price volatility and influence short-term trends in BTC’s valuation [1].

One of the most notable whale movements occurred over the weekend of late August, when a single whale dumped 24,000 BTC—valued at $2.7 billion—onto exchanges. This move triggered a flash crash, sending Bitcoin’s price down by over $4,000 within minutes. Despite this significant sell-off, the whale still maintains a holding of 152,874 BTC, valued at more than $17 billion. According to analyst Sani, the transfer occurred via Hyperunite and involved coins that had been dormant for over five years [1].

The broader market context suggests that whale activity is a key factor in Bitcoin’s price performance. Prominent Bitcoin analyst Willy Woo has noted that the slow upward movement in this cycle is largely due to the concentration of supply among large whales who acquired their BTC at much lower prices. These whales now require substantial new capital—exceeding $110,000 per coin—to absorb their sales. This dynamic places upward pressure on Bitcoin’s price, as new capital must enter the market to offset the increased supply from whale dumping [1].

In parallel, whale activity has also extended to Ethereum. One whale, for instance, recently sold 18,142 BTC worth $2.04 billion and used the proceeds to purchase 416,598 ETH, with 275,500 of those ETH staked. This trend of BTC-to-ETH rotation is being closely monitored by analysts, who see it as a potential indicator of institutional and whale-level reallocation. Another notable case involved a whale selling 670 BTC worth $76 million to open a long position in ETH. These actions have reinforced the narrative that Ethereum is gaining traction as a preferred asset for speculative and leveraged strategies [1].

While the recent price decline has raised concerns among investors, some analysts argue that it is a short-term correction rather than a bearish signal. For example, Alex Krüger of Aike Capital has noted that BTC could regain upward momentum once short-term selling pressure subsides and price levels stabilize above $113,500–$114,000. Vijay Boyapati has also emphasized that whale selling is a necessary part of Bitcoin’s monetization cycle, with limited supply meaning that these large holders must eventually offload their holdings for broader adoption and price discovery [1].

In the broader context of Bitcoin’s supply dynamics, the phenomenon of “ancient” coins—those dormant for over a decade—is becoming increasingly relevant. According to Fidelity Digital Assets, over 566 BTC per day are aging into this category, outpacing the daily issuance of new coins post-halving, which stands at 450 BTC. This trend indicates that Bitcoin’s effective circulating supply is shrinking, reinforcing its deflationary characteristics. As a result, the market is becoming increasingly sensitive to even minor whale movements, which can trigger disproportionate price swings [2].

Source: [1] 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) [2] Bitcoin's Invisible Burn: Lost Coins Outpace New Supply (https://www.bitgo.com/resources/blog/bitcoins-invisible-burn-lost-coins-outpace-new-supply/) [3] Bitcoin Whale Rotation: Is BTC Losing Ground to Ethereum? (https://www.bitrue.com/blog/btc-whale-losing-ground-to-eth)