The cryptocurrency market remains under pressure following the latest FOMC meeting. The Federal Reserve has implemented its third interest rate cut of 25 basis points for the year, but the tone afterward was more cautious than expected. Inflation risks and signs of slower growth keep the prices of most major assets weak. Despite this setback, crypto whales are quietly buying more.

Their purchases are focused on three tokens that show early signs of recovery or a potential breakout.

Aster (ASTER)

The Aster price has dropped nearly 4% in the past 24 hours, bringing the monthly loss to about 14%. Yet, the whales are moving the other way.

Their holdings increased by 7.35% in the past day. They have bought about 4.59 million ASTER, which is worth about $4.22 million at the current price. Notably, ASTER is one of the few coins where whales bought both before and after the FOMC decision.

This purchase is notable, as the chart shows a technical setup that may explain why whales are entering.

Want more insights like this on tokens? Sign up for the daily crypto newsletter from editor-in-chief Harsh Notariya here.

Between November 3 and December 11, the ASTER price formed a higher low while the RSI showed a lower low. The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, measures the strength of buying and selling pressure. If the price rises but the RSI falls, a hidden bullish divergence occurs. This usually indicates that the selling pressure is dissipating, even though the chart still looks weak.

Aster showed the same pattern between November 3 and December 1. That divergence led to an increase of nearly 22%. The current setup resembles that situation, leading whales to possibly bet on another recovery.

For further upward movement, Aster needs a clear daily close above $1.08 — the level where the previous bounce stalled. If that succeeds, the price can target $1.25 and $1.40, which correspond to the next major resistances.

If the structure weakens properly, the downward scenario is also clear. A daily close below $0.88 would break the rising structure and undermine whale confidence. Below that level, ASTER could fall back to $0.81 or lower.

Maple Finance (SYRUP)

Maple Finance (SYRUP) is still about 2.2% lower in the past 24 hours and nearly 40% lower compared to last month. Despite this weakness, crypto whales continue to build positions. Regular whale wallets increased their holdings by 3.86% in the past day, while mega whales raised their supply by 4.9%, totaling 1.1 billion SYRUP.

That increase of 4.9% means that mega whales bought approximately 51.4 million SYRUP, worth about $14.4 million at the current price. This fresh accumulation took place just after the slightly stricter FOMC tone, making the buying action stand out even more.

Whales seem to be relying on support at $0.23. SYRUP has touched this level several times since early December without breaking. Perhaps that is why the whales are entering. The token has been moving in a broad range of $0.23 to $0.31 for some time, with the last support test on December 4.

The momentum gives a short-term boost. Between December 9 and 11, the price formed a lower low while the RSI actually showed a higher low. The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, measures the strength of buying and selling. If the price falls but the RSI rises, a bullish divergence occurs. On lower timeframes, this usually indicates a bounce, even during a larger decline.

If a bounce occurs, the first target is $0.31 — the ceiling that has held back every attempt since December 6. A clear breakout above $0.31 opens the way to $0.39 and $0.48.

But if the SYRUP price loses $0.23, the confidence of the whales weakens. A breakout there means more room to the downside and likely a completely new setup.

Pudgy Penguins (PENGU)

Pudgy Penguins has dropped nearly 10% in the past 24 hours, but crypto whales continue to buy during the dip. Whale wallets have increased their holdings by 5.25%, bringing their total supply to 1.18 billion PENGU. That means whales have added about 58.9 million PENGU.

The top 100 addresses, or mega whales, are also showing steady accumulation. Their holdings increased by 2.85% in the past day, bringing their total supply to 76.95 billion PENGU. This means an addition of about 2.13 billion tokens, which is nearly $21.3 million at the current price. For a token that just dropped double digits, this kind of synchronous buying by whales and mega whales is rare.

The PENGU price chart shows why the whales keep buying. Pudgy Penguins forms an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern on the daily chart. This is a bullish reversal pattern that often arises when a downward trend loses strength. The neckline is around $0.014, and since it is sloping upwards, there is a stronger buyer pattern even before a breakout occurs.

Whales may be betting on that breakout. If PENGU closes above $0.014, the height of the pattern predicts a possible increase of about 35%, with a price target of $0.019. That is likely the reason large wallets are entering despite the weak price.

However, the pattern has clear points at which it becomes invalid. If Pudgy Penguins drops below $0.010, the pattern weakens. A drop below $0.009 completely invalidates the pattern and removes the bullish expectation. As long as PENGU stays above $0.010, the inverse head-and-shoulders pattern remains valid, and the crypto whales seem ready for a possible breakout.