The FOMC meeting scheduled for December 9-10 is drawing intense attention as traders factor in a possible rate cut of 25 basis points. This could temporarily increase liquidity in risky asset markets. The cryptocurrency market continues to move cautiously, falling by about 1.1% ahead of the announcement. Nevertheless, some cryptocurrency whales are positioning themselves early, revealing their strategy.
On-chain data shows that several tokens are experiencing notable increases in accumulation by whales. Some of them display rebound or breakout structures on their charts. This article lists three of them.
Data confirms the whales' strategy for Aster (ASTER)
Aster shows one of the strongest signals from cryptocurrency whales in the last 24 hours. The token dropped 4% today and over 10% in the last month. Nevertheless, whales added 11.61% to their holdings, increasing their total to 44.76 million ASTER at a price close to $0.93. This means that large Aster wallets added about 4.67 million tokens, which at current prices is worth nearly $4.34 million.
Accumulation during a weakening period often indicates that large players are waiting for changes in conditions following the announcement of the FOMC meeting results.
The price chart of ASTER provides some explanations. Between November 3 and December 7, the price of Aster formed a higher low, while the relative strength index (RSI), which monitors momentum, showed a lower low. This creates a hidden bullish divergence, a structure that often signals a trend continuation and waning selling pressure.
The same pattern appeared between November 3 and November 29, and Aster rose by about 22% later. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency whales' strategy may be placing early bets on a similar reaction, provided that market sentiment shifts to a more risk-on approach following the interest rate decision.
Moreover, the price of ASTER is also moving within a tightening triangle pattern. This pattern usually reflects the indecision of buyers and sellers before a larger movement. The first level to recover is $1.01. Breaking above this price opens the way to the level of $1.08, and a stronger movement could push the token towards $1.40.
However, if this structure fails, Aster could drop below $0.89, which could also test the level of $0.84 and invalidate the trend continuation setup that whales are apparently observing.
Whales are hunting for Pippin (PIPPIN)
Pippin is the second token that is apparently being included in the accumulation strategy by cryptocurrency whales ahead of the FOMC meeting in December. Large wallets increased their holdings by 18.2% over the past seven days. This raised their total to 350.03 million PIPPIN. Calculations indicate that whales added about 53.9 million PIPPIN, worth approximately $9.75 million at current prices.
The leading 100 addresses (mega whales) have also increased their positions, boosting their holdings by 3.96%. When both whales and major holders accumulate during a cooling phase, it often signals confidence that a new movement may soon occur.
In this context, the price movement of PIPPIN supports the whales' strategy. The altcoin has risen by 3.06% in the last 24 hours after a quiet week but remains more than 400% higher over the past month. The current structure resembles a bullish flag, a continuation pattern. It occurs when a strong rally is temporarily halted. The whales' strategy of positioning during this consolidation period suggests that they expect increased volatility following the FOMC decision.
PIPPIN must first recover the levels of $0.21 and $0.26 to confirm a strong breakout of the flag. A breakout requires a move above $0.34, which has been strong resistance since Pippin reached its ATH. Currently, the price of PIPPIN has broken out from the upper trend line of the flag. However, a clear daily candle close above $0.21 is needed to confirm the breakout.
If PIPPIN drops below $0.14, the structure will weaken, and a drop below $0.10 could completely break the flag pattern. This could reveal deeper support near $0.08. For now, whales seem to treat this consolidation as an opportunity rather than exhaustion.
On-chain data reveals the strategy of large wallets for Chainlink (LINK)
Chainlink is the third token that continues to attract the interest of cryptocurrency whales ahead of the December FOMC meeting and the anticipated interest rate cuts. Over the past seven days, LINK whales have increased their holdings by 28.93%, raising their pool to 3.78 million LINK. At the current price, this added position is worth approximately $11.5 million.
The top 100 addresses have also increased their holdings by 0.62%, while exchange balances have dropped by 3.09%. This usually indicates increased demand from both whales and retail investors.
The whales' strategy aligns with what the 12-hour chart shows. LINK has risen by 12.5% this week, suggesting a short-term bullish trend. Between December 7 and December 9, the price formed a higher low. Meanwhile, the relative strength index generated a lower low, resembling a hidden positive divergence. Hidden positive divergence often indicates trend continuation as it shows that selling pressure is weakening while the price remains at higher levels.
Meanwhile, for this setup to materialize, LINK needs a clear breakout above $13.72 with a solid 12-hour close. A more important barrier is at $14.19, which has previously been rejected by LINK. If this level is broken, LINK could reach $14.95, and above this level, the next major resistance is around $16.25.
If the market adopts a risk-off approach after the FOMC meeting, the first support to watch is $12.97 in the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement zone. Losing this level would expose the level of $11.75, which has been strong support since December 1.
The whales' strategy of aggressively increasing their holdings while LINK generates hidden positive divergence creates a setup where even a slight increase in market liquidity from the FOMC outcome could extend the ongoing bullish trend.
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