Bitcoin (BTC) Price: Smart Money Buys $5 Billion While Retail Exits in 2026

TLDR

• Whales and sharks accumulated over 56,000 BTC worth $5.3 billion since mid-December while retail traders sold
• Bitcoin ETFs recorded their largest inflow in three months at $695 million on January 5
• BlackRock’s IBIT led with $371.9 million in inflows, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC with $191.2 million
• Bitcoin traded near seven-week high of $94,800 after remaining range-bound between $87,000-$94,000 for six weeks
• Grayscale’s GBTC saw zero outflows for the first time after more than $25 billion in cumulative withdrawals

Bitcoin whales and sharks have purchased more than 56,000 BTC since mid-December. This represents over $5.3 billion in accumulated value.

The buying happened while retail traders sold their holdings. Santiment defines whales and sharks as wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC.

Retail traders hold less than 0.01 BTC in their wallets. The data shows these smaller investors are taking profits.

Santiment stated this pattern typically leads to upward price movement. Crypto markets usually follow the actions of large holders rather than retail traders.

Bitcoin ETFs saw their strongest day in three months on January 5. Total inflows reached $695 million across all products.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust attracted $371.9 million. Fidelity’s FBTC brought in $191.2 million during the same period.

Broad Institutional Buying Returns

Multiple ETF providers recorded positive flows on the same day. Bitwise’s BITB added $38.5 million while Ark’s ARKB gained $36 million.

Invesco, Franklin Templeton, Valkyrie, and VanEck all posted inflows. The buying spread across the entire ETF market rather than concentrating in one product.

Grayscale’s GBTC recorded zero outflows for the day. This marks a change after more than $25 billion left the fund since its conversion to a trust structure.

Bitcoin traded near $94,800 on Coinbase in late Monday trading. This represents a seven-week high for the cryptocurrency.

The price has remained between $87,000 and $94,000 since mid-November. Bitcoin has now moved to the upper end of this range.

Current Market Structure

Analyst James Check noted that Bitcoin’s supply distribution has shifted. The top-heavy supply rebalanced from 67% to 47%.

Profit-taking activity has decreased sharply. Futures markets show signs of a short-squeeze while overall leverage remains low.

Andri Fauzan Adziima from Bitrue stated that key resistance sits at $95,000 to $100,000. Heavy call option interest exists around the $100,000 strike price for January expiry.

Support levels are located at $88,000 to $90,000. A break below this range could trigger deeper price corrections.

Ethereum also saw institutional interest with 31,737 ETH purchased by BlackRock clients. This equals approximately $100.2 million in value.

Spot ETH ETF inflows reached $168.13 million on Friday. Large investors are building positions across multiple digital assets.

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