Headline: Whales and ETFs buy the dip as Solana price struggles — retail selling keeps pressure on Solana’s price action showed a clear tug-of-war on Thursday: big holders and institutional ETF flows piled into a recent pullback, but retail selling and weakening momentum kept SOL under pressure. Price and immediate moves - SOL attempted an upside breakout two days ago but was rejected at about $144, sparking a retrace that briefly broke the $130 support level. At press time SOL traded around $131, down roughly 5.5% on the day, with a low near $129 offering a buying window. Whales stepping in - Onchain Lens reported a long-term Solana whale withdrew 101,365 SOL (≈ $13.89M) from Kraken and moved it into private custody. After the transaction the whale’s holdings rose to 628,564 SOL (≈ $84.13M) — 519,217 SOL in a private wallet and 109,348 SOL staked. That accumulation during a dip signals conviction that a recovery could be coming. Institutional flows remain strong - SoSoValue data show Solana spot ETFs posted net inflows for five straight days in December. Since their late-October launch, the ETFs have recorded net outflows only three times, and total net assets for the group climbed to about $949.1M — closing in on the $1B milestone. Sustained ETF demand suggests institutional interest remains intact despite price weakness. Retail selling adds downward pressure - Retail activity painted a different picture: Coinalyze recorded 1.31M in sell volume vs. 1.15M buy volume on Dec. 11, a Buy–Sell Delta of –158.77k, indicating heavy sell-side participation by smaller traders. CryptoQuant’s spot taker metrics have been signaling seller dominance in the spot market, reinforcing the view that retail outflows have been a major headwind even as large holders absorb supply. Technical backdrop and levels to watch - Momentum indicators have turned cautious. The SMI Ergodic indicator formed a bearish crossover and slid to –0.103, while moving averages show a tightening bearish bias: the MA sits near $135 and the EMA around $136 (EMA ticked up slightly while the MA drifted lower). If selling persists, SOL could slip back below $130, with $123 cited as the next meaningful support. For bulls to regain control, analysts say SOL needs to flip the EMA at ~$136 and close above $146 — the level tied to the prior failed breakout. Takeaway - The market is in a classic battleground: whales and institutional buyers are using dips to accumulate, while retail selling and weakening technicals are keeping short-term pressure on price. Watch ETF inflows and whale custody movements for signs of sustained demand, and the EMA/$146 zone for a potential reversal confirmation. Disclaimer: This article is informational and not investment advice. Cryptocurrency trading is high risk; do your own research before making decisions. © 2025 AMBCrypto (sources: Onchain Lens, SoSoValue, CryptoQuant, Coinalyze, TradingView). Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news