On-chain data from the market intelligence platform Santiment shows that the number of wallets holding at least 10 BTC has returned to levels not seen since March.

This surge in whale and shark activity coincides with massive institutional inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs and signals deep-pocketed confidence despite recent price consolidation below critical resistance.

Whales Feast Amidst Retail Jitters

According to Santiment, there has been a spike in the number of whale and shark wallets holding over 10 BTC, equivalent to over $1.07 million at the current price. The number has steadily grown in the last few weeks to hit 152,280, a level last seen on March 12, reflecting long-term optimism from experienced investors.

These heavy hitters typically act during moments of retail panic, scooping up discounted BTC in what analysts call “smart money” behavior.

This activity dovetails with a recent observation from market watcher Axel Adler Jr., who earlier in the week pointed out that despite $66 billion in realized profits over the past two months, mainly from short-term holders, Bitcoin’s price has held firm. In his assessment, the resilience was largely due to new demand absorbing these sell-offs, indicating significant buy-side strength.

Moreover, earlier in the month, Binance saw nearly 4,500 BTC withdrawn in a single day, with over $800 million in stablecoin inflows that same week. The dual action of BTC exiting exchanges and fresh liquidity arriving was a possible pointer to a deep accumulation phase, potentially led by whales positioning for future upside.

ETF flows also add another dimension to the story, with reports of U.S. spot BTC ETFs pulling in nearly $1.5 billion in just three days, marking one of its most aggressive accumulation periods since inception. BlackRock’s IBIT was at the forefront of this charge, purchasing 9,400 BTC this week alone.

Price Action Stagnant

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $107,353, down slightly by 0.4% in the last 24 hours and a more noticeable 2.6% for the week. This means that despite a respectable 3.1% uptick over the past fortnight, the king cryptocurrency still underperformed the broader crypto market, which had gained 3% over seven days.

The asset previously touched $108,066 but failed to hold that level, with investor Daan Crypto Trades noting that it is consolidating just under the critical $108,000 to $110,000 resistance zone. In his estimation, a breakout from the current wedge pattern could open the path to a new all-time high for BTC, provided it clears the range.

Bitcoins dominance is also up. It is currently at 62.8% but previously reached 65.7%, its highest level in four years, suggesting that capital is flowing into BTC rather than altcoins.