Whales Accumulate Over 180 Million ADA As Cardano Price Faces Short-Term Pressure

• Whales accumulated 180M ADA amid price drop, signaling strategic positioning.
• ADA’s largest spike followed a small increase in whale holdings.
• Despite weak price momentum, trading volume rose 9.15% on May 29.

Large Cardano (ADA) holders have accumulated over 180 million tokens in the span of one week, even as the asset experienced notable price swings. Data covering April 21 to May 29, 2025, shows consistent buying behavior from wallets holding between 100 million and 1 billion ADA. This accumulation continued despite a decline in ADA’s price, reflecting increased activity among high-volume investors.

Between late April and late May, ADA’s price went through several fluctuations. The token initially trended upward, leading to a major price spike that peaked around May 23. However, this rally was followed by a steep correction, which briefly reversed before ADA resumed its downward trend heading into the end of May.

During this period, the cumulative balance of whale wallets remained largely unchanged at first. From mid-May onward, the holdings of these large wallets steadily increased. This behavior occurred even as the token’s price declined from its peak, indicating that whales were purchasing ADA at lower prices.

The data reveals a divergence between price and wallet balances, with accumulation taking place during a declining market. This trend suggests strategic positioning among high-net-worth investors, likely with a focus beyond short-term price action.

Price Spike Preceded by Minor Accumulation

A major movement occurred just before ADA’s biggest price increase. Whale wallets showed a slight uptick in holdings ahead of the rally. This may imply that early accumulation contributed to the momentum behind the price surge. However, the subsequent correction did not trigger mass sell-offs by these wallets.

Source: X

Instead, large holders maintained or increased their positions during the downturn. The continued rise in cumulative balances during falling prices points to deliberate accumulation rather than reactionary trading. This pattern is usually viewed as a sign of preparedness for longer-term holding, though it does not guarantee any future price movement.

May 29 Intraday Data Shows Weak Bullish Momentum

ADA’s intraday performance on May 29 points to muted market strength. The token was priced at $0.7439 as of 4:00 PM, recording a 1.31% decline over 24 hours. It ranked as the 10th-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, with a total value of $26.28 billion. Trading activity remained strong, with a 9.15% rise in 24-hour volume to $674.7 million. 

Source: CoinMarketCap

ADA’s price opened around $0.7593 on May 28, experienced a brief upward movement above $0.76 in early May 29 trading, then dipped and moved sideways through the morning hours. By the afternoon, the token resumed its downward trend and closed near $0.743.

The temporary spike around 3:00 AM may have reflected a short burst of buying, possibly influenced by large wallet movements. However, the price failed to hold those gains. The 2.56% volume-to-market cap ratio suggests a moderate level of liquidity and engagement.