Bitcoin Whale Reserves Hit 3.06 Million BTC as Long-Term Holders Accumulate
Whale-held bitcoin reserves outside exchanges and mining pools climbed to roughly 3.06 million BTC, per CryptoQuant, with long-term holders recording their strongest accumulation in more than six years.
BY DEREK CHU5 MIN READ
Whale-held reserves outside exchanges and mining pools rose as long-term holders accelerated accumulation.
Reserves climbing since June
CryptoQuant's Smart Money report shows bitcoin reserves held by whales — wallets excluding exchanges and mining pools — rose to nearly 3.06 million BTC, up from about 2.87 million BTC in December 2025. The accumulation accelerated starting in June 2026, coinciding with bitcoin's drop below $60,000, a pattern on-chain analysts have historically associated with large holders treating price weakness as a buying opportunity rather than a reason to sell.
Long-term holders lead the buying
The accumulation isn't limited to a handful of large wallets. Long-term holders — addresses that haven't moved their coins in at least 155 days — have recorded their strongest accumulation in more than six years, with the LTH Net Position Change reaching approximately 1.29 million BTC. CryptoQuant notes the current 90-day taker cumulative volume delta reads neutral, which the firm interprets as passive absorption of available supply rather than aggressive, momentum-driven buying.
WHY IT MATTERS
Large, patient buyers absorbing supply during a weak stretch is one of the more constructive on-chain signals available, but CryptoQuant is explicit that passive absorption doesn't confirm a bottom by itself — August's monthly close is what the firm says will determine whether this accumulation has actually established a valuation floor.
What to watch next
1.Whether August's monthly close holds above recent support, which CryptoQuant flagged as the test of whether accumulation has built a real floor.
2.Whether the pace of whale accumulation continues or stalls as bitcoin's price moves.
3.Whether ETF flow data starts to mirror the same accumulation pattern showing up in whale wallets.
Frequently asked questions
Who counts as a bitcoin "whale"?
There's no single definition, but on-chain analysts typically classify wallets holding 1,000 BTC or more as whales, separate from exchange and mining-pool addresses.
What is a long-term holder?
A wallet holding bitcoin that hasn't moved it in at least 155 days, a threshold analysts use because coins held that long historically show much lower odds of being sold soon.
Does whale accumulation guarantee a price recovery?
No. Analysts note the current buying looks more like passive absorption than aggressive demand, and past accumulation phases have preceded both recoveries and further consolidation.
SOURCES & DATA
Education, not financial advice. See our editorial process and corrections policy.
Derek Chu
Bitcoin Almanack's editorial byline for on-chain data, holder behavior, exchange flows, network activity, and technical market structure.
Sources, standards & corrections
Sources are linked inline. Read our editorial information, AI disclosure and corrections policy, or report an error.
Sources are linked inline. Read our editorial information, AI disclosure and corrections policy, or report an error.