Bitcoin Whale Anxiety Eases: Sell Pressure on Binance Plummets

Confidence in reporting based on a stringent editorial policy emphasizing accuracy, relevance, and impartiality, crafted by industry experts and thoroughly vetted. Bitcoin's supply indicators on exchanges are showing a significant shift: transfers from large holders into Binance have sharply declined from the panic levels observed in late November, indicating that major investors are no longer as eager to sell. CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost noted a 'clear decline in whale transactions,' particularly in BTC inflows to exchanges, suggesting that large stakeholders are transferring significantly lower amounts of Bitcoin to trading platforms. The observed trend highlights inflows to Binance categorized by transaction size, capturing movements from 100 BTC up to over 10,000 BTC, which are commonly viewed as signs of potential selling when arriving at an exchange. Darkfost emphasized that whale behavior has changed markedly since the tumultuous late-2025 downturn, stating that December has proved particularly difficult for these investors. As Bitcoin fell from its previous peak near $126,000, there was a notable increase in whale inflows to Binance in late November, coinciding with BTC's retracement below $90,000. This period triggered a panic selling response, especially once BTC dipped below $85,000, revealing stress among certain large holders who expedited their sales to curb losses. In contrast, recent data suggests that Binance inflows have decreased significantly, now approximating $2.74 billion, accompanied by a drop in transaction frequency compared to the prior panic-induced cluster. This behavioral shift indicates that whales are now exercising more restraint, preferring to hold rather than sell aggressively. Despite these whale dynamics, institutional demand for Bitcoin remains robust, with substantial accumulation evidenced by US custody wallets holding between 100 and 1,000 BTC each, excluding exchanges and miners. Over the past year, 577,000 BTC (valued at $53 billion) has been added to these wallets, indicating ongoing institutional interest in Bitcoin as of the current trading price of $90,885.