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On-chain data reveals a divergence in Cardano ownership trends, as large holders aggressively accumulate $ADA while retail wallets reduce exposure.
For context, persistent price weakness has dragged $ADA and several major crypto assets lower in recent weeks. Specifically, Cardano slipped from above $0.40, where it traded earlier in the month, to around $0.35 at press time.
Despite the downturn, on-chain metrics show that large $ADA wallets have added more than 400 million tokens over the past two months, even as retail investors retreat to safety.
Key Points
- On-chain data shows strong accumulation by large $ADA holders amid recent price suppression.
- Large holders increased their share of the circulating supply to 67.53% following the acquisition of an additional 454.7 million tokens.
- In contrast, retail holders sold 22,000 $ADA in three weeks.
- $ADA remains above key support at $0.33, trading at $0.3518.
Large Investors Accumulate Over 450M $ADA As Retail Dumps Tokens
Leading market intelligence platform Santiment recently highlighted this trend, noting that wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million $ADA accumulated 454.7 million $ADA. The acquisitions, worth about $161.4 million, were completed over the past two months, from late November 2025 to this month.
These investors, commonly referred to as whales, increased their share of the circulating supply from roughly 66.3% to 67.53%, bringing total holdings to about 24.33 billion $ADA.
In contrast, over the past three weeks, wallets holding 100 $ADA or less, typically referred to as retail investors, sold a combined 22,000 $ADA, worth approximately $7,810. As a result, their share of circulating supply dropped from around 0.122% (43.96 million tokens) to 0.121% (43.6 million $ADA).
Could a Rebound Be Imminent?
Santiment noted that periods where large holders accumulate while retail investors sell have often preceded market recoveries. Typically, whales position during low-confidence phases, absorbing supply as prices remain depressed. As a result, Santiment projects that if broader crypto conditions stabilize, this accumulation could lay the groundwork for a potential $ADA rebound.
Notably, a similar pattern emerged in early November 2025. At the time, large Cardano investors accumulated 348 million $ADA, representing about 0.94% of the circulating supply, between November 7 and November 10. During that window, $ADA posted modest gains, rising from $0.531 to $0.593.
Meanwhile, a recovery remains uncertain. However, technical analyst Ali Martinez recently suggested $ADA may be gearing up for a bounce, noting that the token is consolidating in a descending triangle on the 1-hour chart near $0.35. In his view, the setup could signal a potential 7% breakout.
Cardano Price
Meanwhile, Cardano continues to hold above the key $0.33 support, with $ADA trading around $0.3518. Notably, the token defended this level over the weekend despite broader market weakness.
If $ADA remains above $0.33, it could advance toward $0.38 and then target higher levels at $0.40 and $0.50. However, a decisive break below $0.33, potentially driven by macroeconomic factors as observed in previous weeks, could invalidate this bullish setup.