Bitcoin’s Biggest Holders Pull Back, Control 68% Of Supply
Reports present a giant reshuffle in Bitcoin holdings as worth swings spooked some huge wallets and invited smaller gamers again into the market.
According to Santiment, wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC — the so-called “whale and shark” cohort — have trimmed their share of the overall provide to a nine-month low, now round 68% after a current wave of promoting.
This pullback included roughly -81,068 BTC moved out of these buckets in about eight days.
Whales Cut Stakes, Retail Steps In
Retail patrons have been the energetic counterparty. Reports observe that “shrimp” wallets — these holding lower than 0.1 BTC — climbed to their highest share since mid-2024, now accounting for roughly 0.24% of provide.
The sample is acquainted: massive holders pare publicity, smaller accounts decide up cash on dips. The result’s sharper swings in worth because the market rebalances.
Market Moves And What They Mean
Price motion pushed the story into view. Bitcoin slid from greater ranges into the low $60,000s, briefly testing roughly $59,000 earlier than a rebound pushed it again towards the mid-$60ks.
The sell-off coincided with troubles in broader threat markets, and merchants reacted quick. Some of that promoting stress confirmed up in ETF flows and futures, whereas on-chain transfers hinted that huge holders have been decreasing positions whereas retail piled in.
What’s been behind the Bitcoin crash that has seen costs fall to as little as $60,001 for the primary time since October, 2024?
Whale and shark wallets holding 10-10K Bitcoin now maintain a 9-month low 68.04% of the whole $BTC provide. This features a dump of -81,068 BTC in simply… pic.twitter.com/Yyd20dy3nS
— Santiment (@santimentfeed) February 6, 2026
The sell-off appears tied to each threat urge for food and timing. One extensively shared publish on social media from CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju known as consideration to the temper amongst analysts, saying that virtually all Bitcoin analysts have been sounding bearish in the meanwhile. That type of consensus can push merchants towards taking faster losses or closing positions.
Sentiment Falls To Levels Last Seen In 2022
The broader temper has hardened. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index plunged to 9 this week, a studying that sits inside “excessive concern” territory and has not been seen for the reason that turmoil round mid-2022.
Lower sentiment usually tightens liquidity and magnifies worth strikes. When concern is high, even small catalysts can result in outsized reactions.
Why This Could Matter
When massive holders in the reduction of whereas many small accounts purchase, the market construction modifications. Liquidity can grow to be thinner at sure worth bands, so dips are deeper and rallies could be swift when shopping for returns.
History reveals that these phases typically result in prolonged consolidation intervals. Other occasions they mark the beginning of a bigger pattern reversal. Right now, each are attainable; readability will arrive solely after flows and macro alerts settle.
A Note On The Backdrop
Some merchants level to geopolitics and macro headlines because the set off for the most recent nervousness. Reports say world risk-off strikes — together with weak tech shares and commerce tensions — fed into crypto promoting.
Still, Bitcoin stays effectively above many long-term helps that merchants watch. Many long-term holders have been regular patrons by previous pullbacks. That regular shopping for might matter if concern eases and bigger traders start to redeploy capital.
Featured picture from Pexels, chart from TradingView

What’s been behind the Bitcoin crash that has seen costs fall to as little as $60,001 for the primary time since October, 2024?
Whale and shark wallets holding 10-10K Bitcoin now maintain a 9-month low 68.04% of the whole