Smart money buys $3.2B in Bitcoin as retail sells

Bitcoin whales and sharks accumulated 36,322 BTC worth about $3.2 billion over nine days, according to crypto analytics firm Santiment.

Wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC increased their positions between Jan. 10 and Jan. 19 as prices weakened.

“Bitcoin’s whales & sharks continue to accumulate,”

Santiment said, adding that the pattern signals a potential long-term bullish divergence.

Retail wallets holding less than 0.01 BTC sold roughly 132 BTC over the same period, Santiment data showed.

Analysts said such divergence often appears when markets approach breakout conditions.

Bitcoin remained volatile after renewed tariff threats from US President Donald Trump pressured risk assets.

Santiment noted rising social media discussion around bitcoin despite cautious market sentiment.

Broader indicators showed traders remain defensive, with capital concentrated mainly in bitcoin rather than altcoins.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $89,132.87.