Ethereum (ETH) Whale Accumulation Hits Levels Not Seen Since 2017 Amid Retail Sell-Off

According to @lookonchain, on-chain data reveals significant accumulation of Ethereum (ETH) by large holders, or 'whales,' despite recent price weakness. Analytics firm Glassnode reports that daily net whale accumulation has surpassed 800,000 ETH for nearly a week, a scale of buying pressure not witnessed since 2017. Concurrently, data from Santiment shows that wallets holding between 1,000 and 100,000 ETH have added a total of 1.49 million ETH over the past 30 days. This aggressive buying from large entities contrasts sharply with profit-taking from smaller retail wallets and the first day of net outflows from U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs, which saw $2.2 million exit after a 19-day inflow streak, per Farside Investors. While ETH's price was rejected near $2,673 and has been consolidating around the $2,500 support level, this whale-driven accumulation suggests strong conviction and may establish a significant price floor, signaling a potential bullish divergence for traders.
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Ethereum's Resurgence: Whale Accumulation Fuels Sharp Rebound Above $2,700
Ethereum (ETH) has staged a remarkable recovery, surging to approximately $2,793 after finding solid footing near the critical $2,500 support level. This powerful rally of over 6% in the last 24 hours comes after a period of intense selling pressure that saw ETH rejected from the $2,673 mark, leading to a cascade of liquidations and a test of lower bounds. While the initial price action painted a bearish picture, a deeper look into on-chain metrics reveals a compelling narrative of strategic accumulation by large-scale investors, a trend that appears to have provided the fuel for the recent bullish reversal. The divergence between the temporary price dip and the persistent buying from major players created a classic dip-buying scenario, which has now resolved decisively to the upside.
On-Chain Data Reveals Historic Whale Buying Spree
Despite the market volatility, Ethereum's largest holders, often referred to as 'whales' and 'sharks', have been on an unprecedented buying spree. According to data from the analytics platform Glassnode, the scale of this accumulation has not been witnessed since the bull market of 2017. For nearly a week leading up to the rebound, daily net whale accumulation consistently exceeded 800,000 ETH. This trend culminated in a massive single-day inflow on June 12, when these large wallets added over 871,000 ETH. Further analysis from Santiment corroborates this trend, showing that wallets holding between 1,000 and 100,000 ETH have collectively added 1.49 million ETH over the past 30 days. This sustained buying pressure from sophisticated investors, even as smaller retail wallets appeared to be taking profits, signaled a strong undercurrent of conviction in ETH's long-term value proposition and likely established the firm support base at $2,500.
Technical Outlook and Cross-Pair Strength
From a technical standpoint, the price action for the ETH/USDT pair has been textbook. After the sharp 5.7% drop from $2,679 to a low of $2,527 during the June 16 session, the $2,500 level proved to be a formidable psychological and technical floor. The subsequent bounce was not only swift but also supported by significant volume, indicating strong buyer participation. The price has now reclaimed several key levels and is trading above $2,790, turning previous resistance into new support. Traders are now eyeing the $2,800 level as the next immediate hurdle, with a successful breach potentially opening the path toward the $3,000 psychological milestone. This bullish momentum is further confirmed by Ethereum's performance against Bitcoin. The ETH/BTC pair has surged by nearly 4%, climbing to 0.0251. This outperformance is a critical indicator, suggesting that capital is rotating into Ethereum at a faster pace than Bitcoin, often a sign of increasing risk appetite and confidence in the broader altcoin market. While Solana also shows strength, with the SOL/ETH pair holding steady, the primary story is the renewed leadership of ETH against its main competitor.
In conclusion, the Ethereum market is currently defined by a powerful confluence of factors. The aggressive, historically significant accumulation by whales provided a strong foundation that absorbed the recent sell-off. This on-chain strength has now translated into a potent technical breakout, propelling ETH/USD back towards key resistance zones. The concurrent outperformance of the ETH/BTC pair adds another layer of bullish confirmation, suggesting a potential shift in market leadership. While the brief net outflow from U.S. spot ETFs on Friday introduced a slight institutional counter-narrative, the overwhelming on-chain evidence and the subsequent price rally indicate that the dominant force in the market is the conviction of its largest holders. Traders will be closely monitoring whether this momentum can be sustained to challenge the next major resistance levels in the days ahead.
Lookonchain
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