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Crypto whale: definition, impact and how to follow them in 2025
A crypto whale designates an investor or an entity that holds a large amount of cryptocurrency , such as ethereum , Ethereum etc. . These major holders can influence prices, liquidity and even trends in the cryptocurrency market. Understanding the role of whales, knowing how to spot them and monitoring them can be a strategy for any beginner investor or trader wishing to navigate the Crypto market.
Table of contents
What is a crypto whale?
In the universe of cryptos , the term whale (or Whale in English) designates an investor or an organization which holds a large quantity of a token, generally several million dollars of the same active. Whales are sometimes early investors, institutions, funds, or exchange platforms. Their influence extends over the entire cryptocurrency market.
- A whale can have more than $ 10 million cryptocurrency .
- Among the largest whales, there are investment funds, platforms like Binance , and companies such as Microstrategy .
Why are crypto whales so influential?
The whales hold a significant part of the total offer of a token. This concentration gives them the power to influence the short -term price, liquidity and market trends. When a whale buys or sells a large amount of cryptocurrency, this can cause an increase or a brutal fall in the price. Whale transactions are therefore monitored by investors and traders.
- A massive sale (DUMP) can lower the price of a token by increasing the available offer.
- A massive purchase (Pump) can scarce the offer and trigger an upward trend.
According to Bitinfocharts , in hand 2025, ten Bitcoin alone owned 5.77 % of all BTC in circulation. The 100 main whales controlled 15 % of the total offer. This concentration can amplify volatility and market movements.
Examples of the impact of whales on the market
- BTC sales by several whales dropped the price by more than 30 % in a few days.
- ETH purchases by large whales have preceded major bullshit rallies.
- On the AltcOOS, a whale holds a large amount of token can cause a pump and dump.
How to recognize a crypto whale?
There is no universal threshold, but certain criteria are used to identify a whale:
- Hold approximately 1,000 BTC or equivalent in ETH or other cryptocurrencies.
- Being the cause of transactions of several million dollars.
- Having a portfolio whose value represents a significant part of the total offer of a token.
Whales often use several addresses to distribute their funds. Some go through OTC (Over-the-Counter) services to buy or sell without directly impacting the price on public platforms. Whale addresses are monitored by the community and technical analysts and on-chain at Binance , Glassnode or Arkham Intelligence .
What is the impact of whales on the cryptocurrency market?
Whales can influence prices, liquidity and volatility. Their activity is an indicator followed by investors and traders to anticipate market trends. If a whale moves a large amount of tokens to an exchange platform, this can point out an imminent sale. Conversely, if the whales remove their funds to a Cold Wallet , this indicates a long -term conservation strategy.
- The whales create short -term price movements.
- Their accumulation or distribution can trigger bullish or lowering trends.
- The share of whales in the total offer of an asset is a factor of stability or volatility.
Whales and market manipulation
- Whales can place a massive sales order to cause panic and buy at low prices.
- A pump orchestrated by several whales can attract private investors to a bullish trap.
- Crypto whales often buy during correction phases, accumulating tokens at reduced prices.
How to follow the crypto whales?
Following Crypto whales is a strategy adopted by certain investors to anticipate market movements. Here's how to proceed:
Step 1: Identify whale addresses
- Use Arkham Intelligence to consult the portfolios that hold a large amount of tokens.
- Locate the wallets that bought a cryptocurrency very early which exploded.
- Analyze the history of transactions to locate the accumulation phases.
Step 2: Follow the movements in real time
- Use Zerion to follow all the movements of a wallet identified as a whale.
- Configure alerts to be informed as soon as an important transaction is carried out.
- Observe the transfers between exchange platforms, cold wallet S and Protocols DEFI .
Step 3: Interpret the whale signals
- A massive transfer to an exchange platform can report an imminent sale.
- An important withdrawal to a cold wallet suggests long -term conservation.
- Movements coordinated on several tokens can announce a pump or a dump.
Tools to follow Crypto whales
- Arkham Intelligence : to identify the biggest portfolios and visualize their transactions on different blockchains.
- Zerion : To track down all the movements of a specific address in real time and receive personalized notifications.
- Whale Alert : Service that reports major transfers on the main cryptocurrencies live.
- Glassnode , Nansen , Bitinfocharts Blockchain data analysis platforms to identify the concentration of funds and whale trends.
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Why follow the crypto whales?
Following the crypto whales remains a popular strategy to anticipate market trends and detect early reversal signals, even if the influence of a single whale has been reduced with the current capitalization of Bitcoin. Whales are at the origin of many major movements: a massive purchase of BTC by a bitcoin whale can announce a bull movement, while a transfer of millions of dollars to ETH to an exchange platform often precedes corrections or phases of increased volatility.
The accumulation of tokens by whales before a major announcement or an upward trend remains a signal followed by many investors and traders.
However, today on large capitalization assets, it is mainly the coordinated movements of several large whales, more than the isolated action of a single player, which can influence prices in the short term.
Limits and precautions
- Whale movements do not always guarantee a precise direction of the market.
- Some transfers are logistical (security, rebalancing) and have no direct impact on the price.
- There are false signals: traders can imitate whale strategies without having the real power.
Examples of famous whales and their influence
- The largest Bitcoin whale remains the original address of Satoshi Nakamoto , which holds more than a million BTC .
- Microstrategy is today one of the biggest BTC among listed companies.
- Platforms like Binance hold millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies on behalf of their users.
Whales are sometimes the source of spectacular movements, as when selling 10 million pieces of an AltcOin, or a discreet accumulation on a new project. Their influence on the cryptocurrency market is undeniable.
Conclusion
Understanding what a crypto whale , knowing how whales can influence prices and follow crypto whales thanks to tools like Arkham Intelligence and Zerion is a skill that can be useful for an investor or trader. Whales remain major players in the cryptocurrency market: their impact on short -term price, liquidity and market trends is undeniable. Following whale trends on the market, consulting whale addresses and analyzing transactions can allow you to better anticipate how things could evolve in the crypto ecosystem in 2025.
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Noah
Training engineer, I quickly became interested in the field of finance. Convinced that decentralized finance has a bright future ahead of it, I participate in its democratization by developing Crypternon.
