This Bitcoin Whale Behavior Is Making Bears Nervous Again
Bitcoin did not have a great week. Price slipped roughly 6% and is now trading around the $88,000 level, putting pressure back on short-term sentiment. After weeks of steady gains, the pullback has reopened the debate about whether this move is just a pause or the start of something deeper.
We already covered several reasons behind the dip earlier this week, but new developments are adding context to the market’s unease.
At the same time, something very different is happening beneath the surface.
Bitcoin’s largest holders are quietly accumulating.
And that contrast is starting to make bears uncomfortable.
Why Bitcoin Pulled Back This Week
Part of the pressure came from politics rather than charts.
Odds of a U.S. government shutdown by month-end surged to 77% on Polymarket, jumping 67% in just 24 hours. Senate Democrats have vowed to block a funding bill, raising fears of another fiscal standoff in Washington.
For crypto, this matters because it directly delays the CLARITY Act, a major market-structure bill meant to bring long-awaited regulatory clarity. That uncertainty has weighed on prices for weeks and continues to hang over the market.
Another blow came from South Korea.
Prosecutors revealed that roughly $47 million worth of seized Bitcoin went missing after a phishing attack during a routine inspection. The incident exposed serious weaknesses in how authorities secure digital assets, shaking confidence in institutional handling of crypto custody.
These events did not crash the market, but they added to the fragile mood that already existed.
What the Whales Are Doing Instead
While headlines stay heavy, Bitcoin whales are acting in the opposite direction.
Santiment data shows that wallets holding at least 1,000 BTC have collectively added around 104,340 BTC in recent weeks. That represents a 1.5% increase in their total holdings.
At the same time, the number of daily transfers above $1 million has climbed back to two-month highs.
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