Whales Accumulate as Retail Takes Profits, Santiment Shows Bitcoin Split

Beincrypto reports that on-chain data from Santiment shows a clear split between large holders and small investors: whales accumulated Bitcoin while retail wallets took profits in early January.

Santiment's data showed Bitcoin trading above $93,000 at the time of the release; wallets holding 10 to 10,000 BTC added 56,227 coins since December 17, while wallets with less than 0.01 BTC began selling, suggesting profit-taking among retail after the rally. Santiment classified whale accumulation combined with retail distribution as one of its most bullish configurations and said the divergence has historically increased the probability of bullish market conditions, though it does not guarantee outcomes.

Santiment cautioned that favorable probabilities are not guarantees, noting such bullish phases can last days or weeks and that whale behavior can shift quickly. For retail investors, the takeaway in the report was not to blindly follow either side, to keep risk management in place, and to monitor how long the whale–retail divergence persists before deciding whether to re-enter or remain cautious.

Key Topics

Crypto, Bitcoin, Santiment, Whales, Retail Investors, On-chain Data