In the post, the chart focus was Binance inflows segmented by transaction size, spanning transfers from 100 BTC up to the largest prints above 10,000 BTC, flows that are commonly interpreted as potential sell-side positioning when they hit an exchange.<\/p>\n
The key backdrop in Darkfost\u2019s thread is how quickly whale behavior shifted around the market\u2019s late-2025 drawdown. \u201cDecember has been particularly challenging, even for these investors,\u201d the analyst wrote, adding that whales are typically \u201cmore cautious\u201d and \u201cless sensitive to market movements than retail participants,\u201d often acting with \u201cgreater discipline and patience.\u201d<\/p>\n
That discipline appeared to crack as Bitcoin rolled over from its latest all-time high near $126,000. Darkfost described a surge in whale inflows to Binance at the end of November as BTC \u201ccontinued its correction,\u201d with the \u201caverage monthly total\u201d reaching \u201cnearly $8 billion\u201d during a period when BTC \u201cfell back below the $90,000 level.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis phase clearly triggered a panic-driven move,\u201d the post said. \u201cTransactions ranging between 100 and 10,000 BTC increased significantly, especially as price broke below the $85,000 level. This behavior reflects real stress among certain whales, who chose to sell quickly in order to limit losses, thereby reinforcing selling pressure on the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
The crux is what changed since that cluster. \u201cToday, the situation looks very different,\u201d Darkfost wrote. Those Binance inflows \u201chave been divided by three and now stand at around $2.74 billion,\u201d with \u201cdaily movements\u201d becoming \u201cfar less frequent than during the cluster observed at the end of November.\u201d<\/p>\n
The analyst framed the drop as an observable behavioral pivot rather than a single-day anomaly. \u201cThis shift in dynamics suggests that whales have changed their behavior,\u201d Darkfost wrote. \u201cThey are no longer selling aggressively and now appear to favor waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Bitcoin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbtc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/G_DRNDnXYAAQJEs-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C576\")
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Institutional Demand Side Remains Robust<\/h2>\n
While Darkfost\u2019s post focuses on whale-associated inflows as a proxy for potential sell pressure, CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju pointed investors to the other side of the ledger: institutional accumulation.<\/p>\n
![\"Bitcoin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbtc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/G_DtQjXXsAAYUlK.jpg?resize=1024%2C576\")
<\/p>\n![\"Bitcoin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbtc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/BTCUSDT_2026-01-20_14-30-49.png?resize=1024%2C499\")
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