Big Bitcoin (BTC) Whales Surge as Small Holders Vanish Amid Short-Term Recovery Attempts

Large BTC wallets surged by 91 as the smallest holders declined.

Bitcoin (BTC) noted a minor rebound and is currently trading around $87,000 after weeks of devastating losses. During this period, the number of large BTC holders has been rising while small ones have been declining.

Such a pattern may support long-term price strength.

Retail Capitulates, Whales Accumulate

The number of wallets holding at least 100 BTC has increased by 0.47% since November 11, according to the latest data compiled by Santiment. This represents a rise of 91 wallets in a span of less than a month. On the other hand, smaller wallets, particularly those holding 0.1 BTC or less, have declined. Santiment observed that this pattern of retail capitulation has historically been shown to benefit crypto prices over the long term.

This may come as a sign of relief for many traders, which comes amidst a slight improvement in the market. The latest price recovery, however, does not signal the start of a new bull market. Instead, according to Matrixport, it reinforces that the trading environment remains complex and fragile, one where rebounds can be sharp but should be viewed tactically, and not as the beginning of a new trend.

A similar sentiment was echoed by Bitcoin’s Sharpe Ratio, which slipped close to zero, a zone historically linked to uncertain conditions and the initial stages of risk repricing. Bitcoin has re-entered an environment similar to 2019, 2020, and 2022, where continued low Sharpe readings led to the development of fresh multi-month trends.

Although the indicator does not confirm a definitive market bottom, it implies that forward returns could improve if volatility cools and market behavior steadies. As such, low-Sharpe periods typically offer better asymmetric setups than high-Sharpe, euphoric phases. This pattern aligns with contrarian approaches that favor times when risk-adjusted performance appears weak.

Breakout Attempts

Another interesting insight came from the Bitcoin Bull-Bear Structure Index and the Futures Flow Index, both of which remain in a bearish regime, but short-term signs point to an attempted reversal. Analyst Axel Adler Jr. found that the Bull-Bear Index has stayed on the bearish side since November 11, and the BEAR line is at -36% and recovering.

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In the futures market, the index has risen but remains below 55, the threshold for a bullish shift. The two indices show that the crypto asset has been attempting to exit a bearish phase for over a month.