Bitcoin's 'strongest hands' are back, on-chain data show
- The number of bitcoin wallets holding at least 10,000 BTC has risen to 90, a six-month high, signaling renewed accumulation by large investors.
- Since July 29, wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC have added about $1.5 billion in bitcoin, while smaller “micro” wallets have been shrinking amid security fears and regulatory delays.
- Analysts at Santiment say this rotation of coins from smaller holders to so-called strong hands has historically preceded major price moves and now tilts the odds toward an upside break above $70,000.
Bitcoin’s BTC$64,061.95 elite holders are quietly loading up again.
The number of wallets holding at least 10,000 BTC has climbed back to 90, a six-month high, according to analytics firm Santiment. Over the past eight weeks alone, the count of these “whale” wallets has risen by six, a 7.1% increase.
The move builds on a broader accumulation trend first flagged four days ago. Since July 29, wallets in the 10–10,000 BTC range (whales and sharks) have accumulated BTC worth $1.5 billion. Santiment noted at the time that the pattern of larger players accumulating while smaller holders sell raised the odds of a move above $70,000 versus a drop below $60,000.
Meanwhile, “micro” wallets have been steadily shrinking throughout August. Santiment links this divergence to two recent catalysts of uncertainty and doubt: The Coldcard hardware-wallet exploit, which drained roughly $120 million worth of bitcoin, and continued delays to the U.S. Clarity Act, the long-awaited crypto market-structure bill that the Senate has now pushed to September.
These trends point to a classic supply rotation, with coins shifting from smaller holders into the wallets of the largest investors, the so-called “strong hands.”