Bitcoin Whales Accumulate: Bullish Signals Amid Market Volatility in December 2025

Bitcoin’s recent price swings have sparked debate, but fresh on-chain metrics point to growing optimism from major holders. Trading around $89,500 after a sharp drop from its $126,000 peak in October, BTC shows resilience as whales—wallets with 10 to 10,000 BTC—net accumulated 47,584 coins since December started. This shift counters heavy selling from prior months and hints at underlying strength in the bull cycle.

Recent Price Volatility and Key Support

Bitcoin shed about 29% from its all-time high, with November delivering a 17% loss and a brief plunge below $85,000 on December 1. Market fear hit “Extreme” levels, reflected in a Crypto Fear & Greed Index score of 23/100, fueled by $3.48 billion in spot ETF outflows last month.

Yet, a critical buffer remains at $82,150—the 730-day Simple Moving Average—which has historically anchored bull markets. Breaches here in past cycles like 2019 and 2022 triggered deep bears, but holding above it keeps the structure intact.

Whale Accumulation: A Game-Changer

Large investors flipped from distributors to buyers, reversing a 113,070 BTC sell-off between October 12 and November 30. Key highlights include:

Massive net buys: Whales absorbed 47,600 BTC in days, tightening exchange supply to 1.8 million BTC—the lowest since 2017.
Self-custody surge: 100,000-120,000 BTC left exchanges in October-November, signaling long-term holding.
Institutional backing: ETFs hit $179.5 billion AUM mid-2025, with corporate treasuries adding 247,000 BTC despite outflows.

Santiment data underscores this as a pronounced reversal, often preceding stabilization and rallies.

What It Means for the Bull Market

As long as BTC stays above $82K, analysts like Ali Martinez see minimal risk of extended downtrends. Exchange balances at multi-year lows reduce sell pressure, while whale confidence amid retail dip-buying fosters higher lows around $89K-$92K. December could pivot toward growth if ETF flows steady and liquidity rises, aligning with historical patterns in ETF-active years.