TL;DR

Whales added 100M ADA in 24 hours, boosting total holdings to 18.65 billion coins. Analyst Javon Marks sees repeating patterns that could send the asset to $8, a 740% gain. ADA futures funding rate flipped positive, signaling increased bullish positioning despite recent trading volume decline.

Whale Accumulation Signals Renewed Interest

Cardano (ADA) is showing renewed activity after large investors accumulated a substantial amount of tokens. Data from Santiment shared by analyst Ali Martinez shows that whale wallets holding between 1 million and 100 million ADA added 100 million coins in the past 24 hours. This move increased total holdings in that range to about 18.65 billion ADA.

100 million Cardano $ADA scooped up by whales in the last 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/nA8qNyGBkB

Meanwhile, ADA’s price has been trading between $0.86 and $0.88, after pulling back from recent highs near $1. The increase in whale accumulation during this dip suggests that larger investors are positioning at lower levels. Historically, this type of buying has sometimes provided support during market corrections.

Price Action and Technical Outlook

At the time of press, ADA was trading at $0.88, up 3% in the last 24 hours, but remained 10% down during the last week. The recovery at crucial support zones has anchored the token after sustained drops in the recent past.

Analyst Javon Marks noted that Cardano’s current price structure is showing similarities to its previous market cycle. Charts comparing past and present cycles indicate that ADA may be forming the same corrective and impulsive phases that preceded its earlier rally. 

Marks suggested that if the pattern continues, ADA could move toward $8, representing more than a 740% increase from current levels.

Source: X

Derivatives Market Activity

Futures and derivatives data also point to rising trader interest. Coinglass reported that ADA open interest dropped 4% to $1.61 billion, while trading volume fell 18% to $5.27 billion. Despite this, the funding rate flipped positive to 0.0072%, meaning long traders are paying shorts. Remarkably, such shifts have often been followed by price rallies, as seen in early July.

Source: Coinglass Additionally, CryptoPotato recently reported that ADA futures volume surged on August 14 to $7 billion, the highest level since March 2025. This sharp rise suggests a growing focus on ADA within the derivatives market.

Beyond whale buying and derivatives activity, Cardano has also attracted institutional attention. Grayscale recently created a Delaware-based trust for ADA, sparking discussion about a possible spot ETF in the future. This has fueled speculation that ADA may continue to see increased interest from larger investors.