BTC Accumulation Accelerates: Whales Buy Big While ETFs See Strong Inflows

Bitcoin whales have added more than $1.2 billion worth of BTC to their holdings, while spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted about $754 million in weekly inflows, pointing to renewed accumulation among major investors.

On-chain metrics and ETF activity suggest that large market participants are increasing their Bitcoin exposure, providing some support despite uncertainty caused by delays around the CLARITY Act.

According to Santiment data, wallets holding between 10 BTC and 10,000 BTC have accumulated over 20,000 BTC since July 29. The newly acquired holdings are valued at approximately $1.2 billion based on current prices. The accumulation occurred as Bitcoin traded in a narrow range below $65,000, with the market struggling to establish a clear direction.

Santiment said the ongoing trend of larger holders buying while smaller investors sell has strengthened the possibility of Bitcoin moving toward $70,000, while reducing the likelihood of a drop below $60,000.

The analytics firm linked the mixed investor behavior to several factors, including the Coldcard hardware wallet exploit that began on July 30 and reportedly resulted in about $120 million worth of Bitcoin being stolen. Santiment also cited stalled progress on the CLARITY Act and Bitcoin’s recent lack of momentum as reasons behind declining enthusiasm among smaller investors.

At the same time, institutional demand appears to be recovering through spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Data from SoSoValue shows that U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs received $754.69 million in inflows this week, putting them on track for their strongest weekly performance since April.

Nexo analyst Liya Kalchev said the biggest shift in the market has been the return of institutional buying. She noted that spot Bitcoin ETFs have attracted more than $500 million in August so far, with inflows gaining pace throughout the week and Wednesday alone bringing in more than $240 million.

Kalchev said the recent ETF inflow trend marks a sharp improvement from June, when spot Bitcoin funds experienced their weakest month since launching.

However, despite the increase in whale accumulation and ETF demand, Bitcoin’s price has not yet delivered a meaningful breakout. Kalchev said this suggests the current buyers may be taking strategic positions rather than making aggressive long-term bets.

She added that a decisive move above $65,000 would likely be needed to confirm a stronger recovery and encourage broader market confidence.

Bitcoin’s chart structure continues to show signs of possible upside, but the delayed progress of the CLARITY Act remains a potential barrier.

The legislation is widely viewed as a key development for crypto regulation and could encourage additional institutional participation if approved. Until there is more clarity on its future, the uncertainty may continue to weigh on market sentiment.