Wallets holding at least 100 Bitcoin (BTC) climbed to 20,229 this week, marking an 11.2% jump from a year ago even as price slipped to $76,000.
Santiment Flags Whale Accumulation
The on-chain analytics firm Santiment reported the figure on Monday, noting that the cohort has expanded by 2,038 wallets since the same week in 2025.
Each address in the group now holds roughly $7.7 million or more, placing it firmly in the territory of funds, custodians and long-term holders rather than retail traders.
The growth pattern held through a year of sharp drawdowns, ETF outflows and forced liquidations.
Bitcoin briefly touched $76,000 earlier this week, roughly 40% below its October 2025 all-time high near $126,100.
Also Read: BitMine Buys 71,672 ETH As Tom Lee Calls $2,200 Dip A Bargain
Retail Sentiment Versus Whale Conviction
Bearish chatter on social platforms has now outpaced bullish posts for the first time since Apr. 21, with smaller traders bracing for further downside.
Crypto markets often run against the prevailing mood, and the firm argued that the surge in negative chatter could improve the odds of a near-term rebound. CryptoQuant data adds nuance to the picture.
Coinbase premium has stayed negative since late April, suggesting US institutional demand has cooled even as wallet counts climb.
Dessislava Ianeva, an analyst at Nexo Dispatch, told reporters the CLARITY Act could shape the next leg.
She pointed to Polymarket pricing the bill's 2026 passage at 68%, with a full Senate vote expected as the next major catalyst rather than the committee markup. Ianeva noted that the GENIUS Act produced a 7.5% Bitcoin rally over two weeks last March before fully retracing, a precedent she said may apply to CLARITY.
Bitcoin Price Recap
Bitcoin peaked near $126,000 in late 2025 before slipping to $60,000 in February, then recovered to $82,000 alongside the CLARITY Act committee vote on May 14. It has since rolled back to roughly $76,000 to $77,000 as rising bond yields and oil prices pulled risk appetite lower.
Read Next: Privacy Wins May As Zcash Eyes A Breakout The Bears Missed