Ethereum Whales Accumulate Amid Price Stagnation as Corporate Adoption Grows

Ethereum Whales Increase Holdings—But Why Isn’t the Price Moving?

Data from CryptoQuant shows something interesting: accumulator addresses—wallets that mostly buy and rarely sell—have been gobbling up Ethereum at a surprising rate. The biggest spike happened in June 2025, way above anything seen in 2024. Normally, you’d expect that kind of demand to push prices up. But ETH’s value has barely shifted.

It’s a weird disconnect. Maybe big players—whales, institutional buyers—are quietly stacking up tokens before a rally. After all, similar accumulation spikes in the past did lead to price jumps. Then again, past performance doesn’t guarantee anything.

Corporate Adoption and Network Activity Are Up

There are other signs of life for Ethereum. SharpLink Gaming (Nasdaq: SBET) recently jumped into the ecosystem, adding to a growing list of companies poking around ETH-based solutions. Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin seems optimistic too—in a Bloomberg interview, he hinted at “amazing” accumulation ahead, though he didn’t spell out details.

Then there’s the network itself. Fees spiked 130% earlier this week, likely because of heavier smart contract use. Some say it’s institutional interest in DeFi picking up again. But fees are a double-edged sword—high fees can scare off smaller users, even if they signal demand.

But Not Everyone’s Holding On

For all the bullish signals, some early investors are cashing out. One whale from Ethereum’s early days just moved $12 million worth of ETH to Kraken, possibly to sell. That’s not necessarily a red flag—people take profits—but it’s a reminder that not everyone’s waiting around for higher prices.

Right now, ETH is stuck in neutral. CoinGecko data shows a tiny 0.7% dip over the past week, with a market cap hovering around $289 billion. It’s still down 50% from its 2021 peak near $4,878.

So what’s next? If history repeats, this accumulation could be the calm before a storm. Or maybe the market’s just tired. Either way, Ethereum’s story isn’t over—it’s just getting harder to predict.