Fresh bitcoin ETF outflows and a tense macro backdrop point to a fragile recovery after prices previously pushed above $70,000, analysts say.
The two battered markets have had a nearly one-to-one correlation in recent months, but are moving in opposite directions on Thursday.
Crypto rebounds sharply from Tuesday's lows, yet traders question whether the move marks a lasting turn or another range-bound bounce.
Bitfinex margin longs surge to a two-year high as bitcoin falls below $69k.
Bitcoin is struggling to build momentum around the $90,000 level, yet at least one headline-grabbing buyer appears to be leaning in the opposite direction. Adam Back, the CEO of Blockstream, said on X (formerly Twitter) that a “Bitfinex whale” is purchasing roughly 450 Bitcoin per day at current price levels, a pace that would translate […]
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Claims that a Satoshi-era Bitcoin whale suddenly returned to the market with a multi-billion-dollar purchase have injected tension into an already fragile Bitcoin price action. The claims gained traction after social media posts on X revealed that an address dormant since 2011 had accumulated roughly 26,900 BTC, a move framed by some as a powerful bullish signal. However, a few others saw something very different. One warning revealed that the timing and context of the transfer pointed toward a setup that could lead to a large-scale distribution. Why Some Traders See A Major Red Flag Claims that a Satoshi-Era Bitcoin address might be actually buying billions of dollars’ worth of BTC took many investors by surprise. According to a crypto participant known as 0xNobler on the social media platform X, the whale address became active for the first time since 2011 and went all in on Bitcoin again. Such a purchase goes against the trend of Satoshi-era whales becoming active after many years to sell their holdings. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Hits Crash Line, But This Time Is Not Random The claim of purchase is very bullish on the outside, but there are also bearish interpretations of the move. The bearish interpretation is based on market psychology and the historical behavior of early Bitcoin holders. A wallet allegedly active since the Satoshi era would have acquired BTC at negligible prices, often well below $1. From that perspective, the idea that such an entity waited more than a decade only to buy aggressively near all-time highs appears illogical. A critic argued that sudden movements involving billions of dollars at the current price action indicate preparation. According to the critic, the entity behind the whale address is preparing to distribute. Large transfers into newly active wallets can be part of liquidity staging, designed to allow gradual distribution without causing immediate panic. Satoshi-Era Whale Story Appears To Be A Misunderstanding Closer inspection of the on-chain data indicates that the dramatic narrative surrounding this event rests on questionable assumptions. A few other crypto market participants pointed out that the circulated image claiming a Satoshi-era whale went all in on Bitcoin is edited and misleading, and that the receiving address labeled ‘3FsDiW’ may not belong to an early individual holder at all. Related Reading: Why The Bitcoin Price Could Crash Another 20% To $76,000 Soon Interestingly, blockchain trackers link the address to Twenty One Capital, with records showing that it was created only a few days ago and the first transaction was first received on January 10, 2026. Transaction history shows a small test transfer of 1 BTC to Bitfinex, after which the remaining funds were consolidated into the new address ‘3FsDiW’ from another wallet already associated with Twenty One Capital. Twenty One Capital is a publicly traded Bitcoin-focused company that reportedly holds more than 43,000 BTC on its balance sheet. This distinction matters, as it removes the existential fear implied by the original claims of a Bitcoin whale buying billions worth of Bitcoin. Featured image from Pngtree, chart from Tradingview.com
According to TradingView data, big holders on Bitfinex have been trimming long positions after a late-December peak of 73,000 BTC. The move follows a broader drop in whale holdings of roughly 220,000 BTC during 2025, a change that has analysts and traders parsing what comes next. Related Reading: Crypto Market Watches As Clarity Act Enters Senate Debate Next Week: US Senator Price action has been steady. Bitcoin has been moving inside a tight range around $88,000 to $92,000 while the market seeks direction. Whale Moves And Historical Patterns Based on reports, some traders see this as a classic unwind pattern that precedes price gains. In early 2025, a similar fall in long positions coincided with Bitcoin slipping under $74k then staging a sharp rebound. That past recovery climbed to about $112k in 43 days after positions were flushed. MartyParty, a commentator on X, pointed to that episode when noting Bitfinex whales were “aggressively closing $BTC longs,” a behavior that has in the past been followed by big swings. Bitfinex whales are aggressively closing $BTC longs, a signal that historically precedes massive volatility. Last time this “unwind” happened in early 2025, Bitcoin was stalling at $74k. This precedes the Wyckoff Spring. See charts below. The flush cleared leverage and ignited… pic.twitter.com/2qfmH2eliJ — MartyParty (@martypartymusic) January 10, 2026 Market Breadth And Investor Mix Reports have disclosed that on-chain tracker CryptoQuant finds overall whale holdings fell by over 200,000 BTC across the year, while smaller investors have increased exposure. This shift is being read by some as a sign that ownership is broadening. If more participants hold coins, price moves can be supported by a wider base of buyers. That does not guarantee higher prices, but it does change the way risk spreads through the market. Price Range And Resistance Levels Traders are watching a near-term ceiling around $94,000 that has capped several rallies. Bitcoin currently sits near $91.5k. A sustained break above that $94,000 level with volume would be a stronger confirmation for bulls. On the flip side, a failure to move higher could see the range widen to the downside, especially if funding costs rise or if liquidations pick up. Fractal Targets And Caution Some analysts are using past patterns to project targets. Based on reports, one scenario maps a repeat of the spring-and-rally sequence, aiming at $135k or more if history repeats closely enough. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Next Peak Might Ignite ADA’s Rally, Says Cardano Creator That view depends on similar market conditions lining up, which is not certain. Whales are not a single, unified actor; different groups can close positions for different reasons, and some trades are used as hedges rather than bets on price direction. Volume, funding rates, and net positioning on major derivatives platforms will matter. A clean breakout above $94,000 with rising spot demand would support the bullish case. Conversely, rising selling pressure at that level could keep Bitcoin confined to the $88,000–$92,000 band until a new catalyst appears. The current action looks like a setup in progress — one that could lead to sharp moves once traders decide on direction. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The U.S. hacker pleaded guilty to stealing and laundering nearly 120,000 bitcoin from cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex in 2016.
Margin long positions continue to climb, signaling strong conviction despite bitcoin’s weakness.
BTC's relative weakness compared to stocks points to tepid spot demand, making the largest crypto vulnerable to macro volatility, Bitfinex analysts said.
When crypto sells off, the market doesn’t so much walk down the stairs as it slips on the first step and discovers there never were any handrails. Everyone knows why: perps are a stadium, options are a side alley, and insurance in a storm is hard to buy. Paolo Ardoino, the CTO of Bitfinex, knows […]
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Rising margin bitcoin longs show confidence despite bitcoins ongoing correction.
BTC has tumbled nearly 9% this week, while ETH, SOL declined even further and XRP outperformed.
Despite her social-media suggestions that President Donald Trump let the rapper out earlier from her Bitfinex hack sentence, an official said that's not the case.
Crypto community members alleged that the majority of the deposit campaign was already occupied by large wallets before the announcement.
USDT issuer Tether has added a significant amount of Bitcoin to close out the third quarter, a development that has caught the attention of the crypto community. Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, also confirmed this purchase, as the company ranks among the largest BTC treasury companies. Tether Adds 8,889 BTC To Bitcoin Holdings Arkham data shows that Tether bought 8,889 BTC for $1 billion, with the coins transferred from Bitfinex’s hot wallet to the USDT issuer’s Bitcoin reserves wallet. The company now holds 86,335 BTC, which is valued at $10.23 billion. Ardoino also confirmed the purchase in an X post, highlighting their effort to keep accumulating BTC. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Reaches ‘Critical Junction’: How A Rally To $139,000 Would Play Out BitInfoCharts data shows that Tether is currently one of the largest Bitcoin holders, controlling 0.4% of the flagship crypto’s supply. Meanwhile, based on BitcoinTreasuries data, the USDT issuer will rank as the second-largest BTC treasury company, just behind Michael Saylor’s Strategy. Notably, Tether also has more Bitcoin exposure through its stake in Twenty One Capital (XXI), which is currently the third largest BTC treasury company, behind Strategy and Mara Holdings. XXI holds 43,514 BTC on its balance sheet, some of which it received from Tether as part of the USDT issuer’s investment. Meanwhile, Tether has made it clear that it intends to continue buying as much Bitcoin as possible. Ardoino stated last month that while the world continues to become darker, they will continue to invest part of their profits in safe assets like BTC, gold, and land. This came as he clarified that his company wasn’t selling Bitcoin to buy more gold but was instead buying both assets for their reserves. It is worth mentioning that Tether generates the most revenue among crypto protocols. DeFiLlama data shows that the stablecoin issuer has earned $22.27 million in revenue in the last 24 hours and $155.27 million in the last seven days. As such, the firm makes enough profits to keep buying BTC. The Bottom For BTC Notably, Tether’s latest Bitcoin purchase came just as the BTC price bottomed out. The USDT issuer had bought these coins when the flagship crypto was trading at around $110,000. Since then, BTC has staged a parabolic rally, beginning this month with a gain of around 6%. Bitcoin had dropped to as low as $108,000 about a week ago. Related Reading: These Analysts Predicted The Bitcoin Price Crash And Their Forecasts Say It’s Not Over Bitcoin is expected to record significant gains this month based on historical data. October is its second-best performing month, recording average gains of 20% over the years. Factors like a Fed rate cut could also help spark massive gains for the flagship crypto. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $118,400, up over 3% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
Most altcoins including ETH, SOL, AVAX, UNI posted declines Tuesday but bitcoin was flat after a late rally.
BTC/USD longs on Bitfinex frequently move inversely to bitcoin’s price action.
BTC is on the brink of losing a key level that could see prices plunge to $93,000 before a stronger final quarter, Bitfinex analysts cautioned.
Tuesday's CPI inflation data, followed by PPI report later this week, could make or break bitcoin's momentum, Bitfinex analysts said.
Bitcoin’s on-chain activity lit up again as Blockstream CEO Adam Back alerted the Bitcoin community to the return of the so-called “Bitfinex whale.” According to Back, this unknown but powerful entity has been accumulating Bitcoin at a staggering rate, purchasing roughly 300 BTC per day over the past 48 hours using time-weighted average price (TWAP) […]
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Bitcoin’s rally paused ahead of the U.S. CPI release, with analysts warning that hotter inflation could extend the pullback.
Bitfinex Securities has introduced two tokenized equity offerings with a combined value of £105 million (around $143 million), according to a June 25 statement shared with CryptoSlate. The listings, TITAN1 and TITAN2, were issued by Ctrl Alt and represent the first equity-based tokens available on the Bitfinex Securities exchange. The Astana Financial Services Authority regulates […]
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An ex-FBI agent who led landmark crypto investigations is joining TRM Labs’ team.
"When Long Positions drop, the price usually goes up," said one analyst.
Most U.S. markets were closed for Monday's holiday, but European stocks reacted positively to Trump's moratorium on 50% tariffs.
Since the start of the year, bitcoin holdings bought on margin on Bitfinex have increased by over 13,000 BTC.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that around $9 billion in Bitcoin, taken from the crypto exchange Bitfinex in a 2016 hacking incident, ought to be returned to the exchange. This claim arises from a legal document submitted by the DOJ, which indicated that there are no recognizable victims in this specific case within the existing legal structure. Bitfinex To Potentially Reclaim Stolen Bitcoin The court documents, submitted on Tuesday, explain that the recovery of the stolen Bitcoin—specifically 94,643 BTC, along with amounts from various hard forks—should be returned to Bitfinex. The DOJ argued that under the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act (MVRA), there is no legal basis to classify Bitfinex or its account holders as victims of the specific offenses for which the defendants were convicted. Related Reading: What Bitcoin Election Patterns Could Signal For Its Price Ahead Of January 20 Inauguration The defendants, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, were convicted of Money Laundering Conspiracy, but crucially, they were not charged with the initial hack that resulted in the theft of the Bitcoin. According to the DOJ, their subsequent actions did not directly cause the losses incurred by Bitfinex. The legal definition of a “victim” as stated in the MVRA requires a direct and proximate harm resulting from the commission of a specific offense, which in this case reportedly does not apply. Legal Challenges In Crypto Asset Recovery The DOJ’s filing emphasizes that, while no mandatory restitution can be ordered under the current convictions, the court retains the authority to grant voluntary restitution. This means that, as part of their plea agreements, the defendants have agreed to return the stolen assets to Bitfinex. The restitution order proposed by the DOJ would encompass all funds recovered from the Bitfinex Hack Wallet. While this ruling marks a potential financial windfall for Bitfinex, it also opens the door for further legal complexities. The government is in the process of a third-party ancillary forfeiture proceeding to address other seized assets linked to the defendants’ laundering activities. These additional assets, which were involved in complex laundering schemes, may not be categorized as specific property lost by Bitfinex and its account holders. Related Reading: XRP Bullish Surge Takes Price Within Striking Distance Of $2.9 The 2016 Bitfinex hack, one of the largest in cryptocurrency history, has had lasting repercussions, leading to ongoing debates about regulatory standards and victim restitution in the digital asset space. As this situation develops, the parties involved in the case will be focused on the court’s ultimate ruling about the return of the seized Bitcoin and its impact on the future of cryptocurrency regulation and restitution methods for future cases. The DOJ’s efforts aim not only to address the financial losses experienced by Bitfinex but also to clarify the legal ramifications related to digital asset theft. At the time of writing, Bitcoin has managed to regain its bullish momentum with a 4% rise in the past 24 hours towards the $99,100 level. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com