Bitcoin Whale Wallets (10,000+ BTC) Hit 90, a 6-Month High

The number of Bitcoin wallets holding at least 10,000 BTC has climbed to 90, a six-month high, according to on-chain analytics firm Santiment. That’s up six wallets, or roughly 7%, over the past eight weeks — a sign that the largest BTC holders are quietly rebuilding positions even as the broader market wobbles below $65,000.

Bitcoin itself was trading near $63,900 at the time of reporting, having failed to hold a push above $65,000 and slipping more than 1.6% over the prior 24 hours. The whale accumulation trend, however, points to a divergence beneath the price action: big money is buying while smaller retail wallets are stepping back.

$1.5 billion flows into mid-sized wallets since July 29

The rise in 10,000+ BTC “elite” wallets builds on a broader pattern that began in late July. Since July 29, wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC — the “whale” and “shark” cohort — have added roughly $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin to their balances.

Over the same window, so-called micro wallets have been shrinking through August. Santiment ties that retreat to two distinct shocks hitting retail confidence: the Coldcard hardware-wallet exploit, which drained an estimated $120 million in bitcoin, and continued delays to the U.S. Clarity Act, the crypto market-structure bill the Senate has now pushed to a September vote.

What supply rotation has historically meant for price

Santiment frames the current move as a classic supply rotation — coins migrating from smaller, more reactive holders into the wallets of the largest, most patient investors, often called “strong hands.” The firm notes that this kind of concentration has historically preceded significant price moves for bitcoin.

Based on that historical pattern, Santiment says the odds now tilt toward bitcoin eventually breaking above $70,000 rather than falling below $60,000, though the firm stops short of calling a specific timeline or guaranteed outcome.

Key levels traders are watching

In the near term, analyst Doctor Profit has flagged $65,400 as the level bitcoin needs to clear, and hold, after several failed attempts, according to CryptoPotato. A single break above that price would not be enough on its own — the analyst wants multiple weekly closes above it before treating it as confirmation of a breakout.

If that confirmation comes, the next resistance zones sit around $77,000–$78,000 and then $83,000. A rejection at current levels, by contrast, could pull price back toward $61,500 and potentially $54,000.

Why it matters for holders

For everyday holders, the whale count is a useful gauge of conviction among the market’s biggest players, who have both the capital and the information edge to move ahead of major shifts. A rising count of 10,000+ BTC wallets alongside shrinking micro-wallet balances suggests large investors are treating recent security scares and regulatory delays as buying opportunities rather than reasons to exit.

That said, on-chain accumulation data describes positioning, not price guarantees — the $70,000 level Santiment references remains a probability shift, not a forecast, and traders should weigh it alongside the concrete resistance and support levels now in play around $61,500 to $77,000.

Sources

• coindesk.com
• cryptopotato.com