Ethereum Whales Accumulate 871,000 ETH in Single Day, 27% of Supply Controlled

Ethereum is currently experiencing its most significant whale accumulation in seven years, with large holders purchasing massive amounts of ETH. On June 12, 2025, wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 ETH added more than 871,000 ETH in a single day, marking the highest daily inflow of whales this year and the largest since 2017. This trend has continued for nearly a week, with daily whale inflows exceeding 800,000 ETH, pushing their total holdings to over 14.3 million ETH. These wallets now control 27% of Ethereum’s supply, ending a months-long slowdown in whale activity despite ETH’s price remaining relatively stable.

Analysts suggest that whales are likely positioning themselves ahead of major events in the Ethereum ecosystem. Possible reasons include upcoming upgrades, rising adoption of Ethereum for real-world assets, and growing interest in crypto from institutions. This scale of buying hasn’t been seen since 2017, and the spike in accumulation mirrors trends observed before earlier bull runs. Currently, Ethereum is trading around $2,548, with a strong resistance zone at $2,700. On the Daily chart via TradingView, ETH has been moving sideways since May 11, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 54, indicating weak momentum and neither bulls nor bears controlling the market. However, the 1-hour chart shows signs of selling pressure after a recent break of structure to the upside, while whales continue to buy.

Ethereum staking is also reaching new highs, with more than 35 million ETH now staked. Accumulation addresses, primarily wallets that have never sold, are at an all-time high, holding 22.8 million ETH, indicating that many holders are in it for the long run. Additionally, activity on Ethereum’s Layer 2 networks is rising, with USDC transfers on Arbitrum and Optimism growing rapidly. Ethereum Name Service (ENS) whale transactions spiked 313.5% in the second week of June, and lending protocols saw a 203.8% jump in whale activity.

Ethereum whales have recently made significant moves, adding $2.5 billion in ETH on June 15, marking the largest single-day accumulation since 2018. This surge in buying activity mirrors trends seen in 2017, when Ethereum experienced a substantial price boom. The current price of Ethereum is around $2,643, reflecting a more than 90% increase over the past two months. Despite this impressive growth, Ethereum remains in a consolidation phase, trading between $2,150 and $3,600, similar to its behavior before the 2017 bull run. The buying spree by whales has been accompanied by record inflows into ETH funds, indicating strong institutional interest. Whale wallets, defined as those holding between 1,000 and 100,000 ETH, have increased their holdings by 1.5 million ETH over the past 30 days, a 3.7% increase, now controlling approximately 41 million ETH, or around 25% of the total supply. This accumulation suggests that large investors are positioning themselves for potential future gains, possibly anticipating a repeat of the 2017 price surge.

The current market dynamics for Ethereum are reminiscent of the 2017 trend, where the cryptocurrency experienced a period of consolidation before a significant price increase. Ethereum's price movements have been relatively stable despite geopolitical volatility in global markets, indicating a level of resilience and investor confidence. The consolidation phase, where Ethereum is trading above its 50- and 200-week exponential moving averages (EMAs), further supports the notion that a price boom could be on the horizon. Analysts have noted that the current price action and whale activity are similar to the conditions that preceded the 2017 bull run. The significant accumulation of ETH by whales, coupled with the record inflows into ETH funds, suggests that institutional investors are bullish on Ethereum's prospects. However, it is important to note that past performance is not indicative of future results, and the market remains subject to various factors that could influence price movements.