According to Santiment, Cardano (ADA) key investors, including whales and sharks holding between 100K to 100M ADA, have increased their holdings by 819.4 million ADA over the past six months. This accumulation represents a 1.6% increase in the total supply controlled by these large holders, even as the ADA price has plummeted over 71% from $0.90 to $0.26. This on-chain activity, tracked as of February 24, 2026, suggests a potential bullish undercurrent in the Cardano market, where savvy traders might spot contrarian opportunities amid widespread pessimism. From a trading perspective, this whale accumulation is a critical on-chain metric that often precedes price recoveries in cryptocurrencies like ADA.
Historical patterns show that when large holders increase their stakes during bearish phases, it can signal confidence in future upside. For crypto traders, this disparity creates intriguing opportunities: consider dollar-cost averaging into ADA at current lows, with stop-losses below $0.22 to manage downside risk. Market indicators such as the fear and greed index for Cardano have hovered in extreme fear territory, amplifying the potential for a rebound if whale buying persists. Pair this with cross-market analysis—ADA’s correlation with Bitcoin (BTC) stands at around 0.85, meaning BTC rallies could lift ADA prices, presenting leveraged trading plays on exchanges supporting ADA/BTC pairs.
On-chain data further reveals that trading volumes in ADA/USDT pairs have fluctuated, with spikes correlating to these accumulation phases, providing entry points for swing traders aiming to capitalize on volatility. Diving deeper into the metrics, the addition of 819.4 million ADA by these whale and shark wallets highlights a strategic bet on Cardano’s ecosystem growth, including upcoming upgrades like smart contract enhancements. As of the latest data on February 24, 2026, these patterns encourage vigilant monitoring of Cardano’s network metrics for confirmed bullish signals. The accumulation trend, spanning from August 2025 to February 2026, contrasts sharply with retail selling pressure, as evidenced by declining small-holder balances.
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