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The cryptocurrency market witnessed notable accumulation activity from institutional investors and large holders (whales) over the past two days (January 16 and early January 17, 2026). While direct "whale alerts" for massive single transactions were limited on January 17 (mostly smaller or promotional posts), January 16 featured strong inflows through spot ETFs and targeted whale rotations, particularly into Ethereum from Bitcoin holdings. This reflects continued institutional confidence amid BTC trading around $95,000–$97,000 and ETH near $3,300–$3,380.
Data draws from ETF flow trackers (e.g., Farside Investors), on-chain analytics (Lookonchain), and market reports. Note: These are net inflows or aggregated buys—individual trades can vary, and not all represent pure "purchases" (some involve swaps or ETF creations).
Key Bitcoin (BTC) Purchases and Inflows
Institutional demand remained robust, with spot Bitcoin ETFs seeing significant net inflows on January 15–16 (data often reported with a lag). BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the charge.
BlackRock Clients / IBIT Inflows: Approximately $315.8 million to $319.7 million in BTC purchases (equivalent to ~3,300–3,365 BTC at prevailing prices). This marked one of the strongest daily flows recently, signaling heavy institutional accumulation.
Broader BTC ETF Net Inflows: Around $100–$325 million on January 15–16 across major funds (including BlackRock, Fidelity, and others). Earlier in the week (January 13–14), cumulative inflows exceeded $1.5–$1.7 billion over multiple sessions, absorbing thousands of BTC and outpacing daily mining supply.
Whale and On-Chain Accumulation Trends: Reports indicate whales (addresses holding 1,000+ BTC) showing rebound accumulation after prior sell-offs, with some metrics highlighting net positive shifts. However, some "whale buys" were attributed to exchange housekeeping rather than pure accumulation. Overall, large holders appear to be repositioning defensively amid market consolidation.
No major single-whale BTC buys dominated alerts on January 16–17, but the ETF channel points to sustained "smart money" entry.
Key Ethereum (ETH) Purchases and Inflows
ETH saw mixed but bullish whale activity, including notable rotations from BTC and ETF inflows.
BlackRock Clients: Around $149.11 million in ETH purchases (equivalent to ~45,000 ETH), aligning with broader institutional interest.
ETH ETF Net Inflows: Approximately $164.37 million on January 15 (continuing positive streaks), with no major outflows reported. This outperformed some BTC sessions in relative terms.
Major Whale Rotation: A prominent whale (wallet 0xF73a) swapped ~686 BTC (valued at ~$65.59 million) for ~19,631 ETH over recent days, including transactions on January 16. This represents a strategic shift toward ETH, possibly betting on its ecosystem strength (DeFi, staking, upgrades).
Other Whale Moves: An Ethereum OG wallet deposited 13,083 ETH (~$43.35 million) to Gemini (potentially for selling or repositioning), but overall accumulation signals (e.g., earlier January reports of 220,000–320,000 ETH added by whales) suggest net bullish positioning.
Market Context and Implications
Overall Sentiment: Institutions (via ETFs) and select whales drove buying pressure, countering minor retail weakness. BTC and ETH prices held steady with mild volatility, supported by these flows.
Broader Trends: Whale accumulation often precedes rallies, but crypto remains volatile—macro factors (e.g., Fed signals) and options expiries could influence next moves.
Caution: These are not financial advice. Always verify live data from sources like Whale Alert, Farside Investors, or Lookonchain, as on-chain activity can be misinterpreted (e.g., internal transfers vs. true buys).
The institutional bid appears resilient, with BlackRock and ETFs acting as key drivers. If inflows persist, analysts see potential for BTC to test $100k+ soon, while ETH benefits from rotation narratives. Stay tuned for updates—crypto moves fast! 📈🔍$BTC $ETH #StrategyBTCPurchase #perchase