Retail Bitcoin investors are stepping up their accumulation efforts at an unprecedented rate, absorbing supply at a pace 72% higher than the past years average. Since mid-December, wallets with less than 1 BTC, often called shrimps, have been acquiring 10,627 BTC per day, according to Glassnode data. This is significantly higher than the daily average of 6,177 BTC from the past year.This surge in accumulation marks a notable shift from November 2024 when small holders were offloading Bitcoin as prices soared past $100,000.Bitcoin chart by GlassnodeBitcoin Whales Dumping Massively as Retail AccumulatesMeanwhile, whale investors holding over 1,000 BTC have taken the opposite approach. They have been offloading Bitcoin to exchanges at a staggering rate of 32,509 BTC per day during the same period.According to Glassnode, this sell-side pressure is nearly nine times higher than their yearly average. The diverging behavior of smaller and larger holders shows a redistribution of Bitcoin ownership. While retail investors demonstrate long-term conviction in Bitcoins value through consistent accumulation, whale sell-offs create counterpressure. This contributed to heightened volatility as their selling activity outweighed buying momentum.Market Reactions Amid Whale and Retail ClashThis tug-of-war between Bitcoin holders is reflected in Bitcoins price floor. Bitcoin broke into the unprecedented six-figure range in the first week of December 2024. While it later peaked at $108,268, it closed the year below $100K.However, the asset reached a new peak near $110K in January but has since dipped to $91,242 and continues struggling to sustain an uptrend. Amid these fluctuations, fear has gripped market participants. The market greed index dropped to a score of 35, entering the fear threshold.Meanwhile, a recent analysis by Santiment revealed that retail sentiment toward Bitcoin has strengthened. Many investors are returning to Bitcoin as a relative safe haven, especially as altcoins have experienced landslide price dips.The report also noted growing optimism that Trumps pro-crypto policies will eventually generate bullish momentum for Bitcoin. However, it cautioned that a cooling of this widespread optimism would be healthier.https://twitter.com/santimentfeed/status/1887548920605151597BTC Accumulation ContinuesIn a separate report, Santiment revealed that some Bitcoin whales are taking advantage of the current volatility, stacking more coins. Specifically, February saw an increase of 135 wallets holding 100+ BTC. At the same time, the number of addresses holding below 100 BTC dropped by around 138,000.According to Santiment, this shift in market dynamics could create an ideal setup for long-term growth, even if it takes a few weeks or months for the positive effects of the accumulations to be fully realized.
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