Bitcoin News Today: Whale Sell-Off Slows as Institutions Rebuild Bitcoin Bullish Case

Bitcoin’s price trajectory remains under scrutiny following recent whale activity and institutional investment patterns. Over the past 30 days, Bitcoin whales—defined as entities holding between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC—have offloaded 114,920 BTC, valued at approximately $12.7 billion at current prices. This marks the largest whale sell-off since July 2022 and has pushed Bitcoin’s price below $108,000, according to data from CryptoQuant. Analysts attribute this trend to increased risk aversion among large investors, with continued selling potentially pressuring the price further in the coming weeks [1].

Despite this selling pressure, signs suggest a slowdown in whale activity. Weekly balance changes, which reached a high of 95,000 BTC on September 3, have since dropped to around 38,000 BTC by September 6. The asset has since traded within a narrow range between $110,000 and $111,000 over the past three days [1]. The shift in whale behavior has raised hopes among some analysts that the market may stabilize as these large investors reduce their offloading pace.

While whale activity has contributed to short-term volatility, institutional investors have shown resilience by continuing to accumulate Bitcoin. Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a net inflow of $332.7 million on Tuesday, led by Fidelity’s FBTC and BlackRock’s IBIT, indicating a return of institutional interest. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs recorded net outflows, with some analysts suggesting that investors may be rebalancing their portfolios toward Bitcoin as a safer bet amid macroeconomic uncertainty [2]. This shift contrasts with earlier August, when Ethereum ETFs outperformed Bitcoin due to yield-generating opportunities [1].

Bitcoin entrepreneur David Bailey has speculated that prices could surge to $150,000 if key whale selling ceases. This aligns with broader bullish sentiment, as the one-year moving average for BTC has risen from $52,000 to $94,000 over the past year, with expectations that it will cross $100,000 in the coming months [1]. The broader market environment remains cautiously optimistic, with Bitcoin correcting only 13% from its mid-August high, a shallower pullback compared to previous cycles [1].

Ethereum, meanwhile, continues to attract attention despite its lower valuation compared to Bitcoin. Although institutional investors are prioritizing BTC at the moment, Ethereum ETFs still see daily inflows, and retail investors are treating price dips as buying opportunities. On-chain data also suggests a 10% decline in ETH held on major exchanges like Binance, indicating a shift toward long-term accumulation. This trend could signal a potential supply squeeze that may support Ethereum’s next significant price movement [2].

Source:

[1] Bitcoin Whales Dump $12.7B In Largest Selloff Since 2022 (https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-whales-dumped-115000-btc-largest-selloff-since-mid-2022)

[2] Institutional interest returns to BTC as funds flow into ETFs (https://www.mitrade.com/insights/news/live-news/article-3-1093669-20250903)