Big wallet holders are doing something counterintuitive right now. While XRP has crashed from $2.40 in January down to the $1.00-$1.20 range, the largest accounts haven't panicked and sold. Instead, they've kept accumulating quietly. CryptoQuant's data shows this pattern playing out across multiple tokens, suggesting the worst of the downturn could be behind us, though a true floor hasn't quite arrived yet.

The XRP story is the clearest example. Large holders maintained what analysts call "big-whale" order sizes throughout the entire slide, which almost never happens during sharp crashes. Usually when prices plummet that fast, major players pull back and wait. Not this time. The taker volume delta has drifted toward neutral after starting the year firmly favoring buyers, meaning the aggressive accumulation phase may be cooling, but the underlying support from whales remains solid.

Ethereum tells a similar tale, though with a twist. ETH is the only major token currently trading below its realized price, sitting around $1,900 while the aggregate cost basis sits near $2,450. That gap matters because it means holders as a group are underwater. Yet wallet balances in the 10,000 to 100,000 ETH range have climbed from roughly 14 million to a record 19.6 million since mid-2025. The really big wallets, those holding over 100,000 ETH, grew from 2.6 million to about 4.6 million.

Bitcoin whales show the same pattern. Balances rose from 2.87 million BTC in December 2025 to about 3.06 million BTC now, with buying actually accelerating once the price dropped under $60,000 in June. That's 190,000 additional coins accumulated over six months by the largest holders.

CryptoQuant's warning is important though. Current valuations leave room for one more leg lower before any durable bottom gets confirmed. The whale accumulation is a positive signal, but it's not a guarantee the market has found its floor. What it does suggest is that when prices do eventually stabilize, major holders will be positioned with significant supply on their books.

This article is informational only and should not be construed as financial advice or investment guidance.