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Large bitcoin holders buy the most coins since the FTX collapse of 2022

The so-called Fish-to-Shark cohort added 110,000 BTC over the past 30 days, according to Glassnode.

Jan 18, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
Fish to Shark BTC (Glassnode)
Fish to Shark BTC (Glassnode)

What to know:

  • Total supply held by bitcoin wallets with 10 to 1,000 coins has risen to almost 6.6 million BTC.
  • Smaller holders are also increasing exposure, with those wallets with less than 1 bitcoin amassing 13,000 coins in recent weeks.

Amid the lackluster price action of the past few weeks, the accumulation of bitcoin by mid- to large-sized holders has reached its strongest monthly level since the FTX-related collapse of 2022.

Over the past 30 days, entities holding between 10 and 1,000 BTC — commonly referred to as the Fish-to-Shark cohort — have accumulated approximately 110,000 BTC, according to Glassnode. That’s the largest such increase since bitcoin fell to the $15,000 area just over three years ago.

This renewed accumulation has occurred as bitcoin remains stuck in a tight range, roughly 25% below its October record high, though also about 15% above its November low of around $80,000. The Fish-to-Shark cohort — think high-net worth individuals, trading desks and some institutional-sized entities — now controls nearly 6.6 million coins, up from about 6.4 million two months ago.

At the same time, smaller holders are also adding to their balances. The Shrimp cohort, which represents retail investors holding less than 1 BTC, is a broad and highly reactive group whose accumulation behavior tends to be sensitive to volatility and sharp price movements.

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In recent weeks, Shrimps have accumulated more than 13,000 BTC, the largest increase since late November 2023, and bringing their collective holdings to roughly 1.4 million coins. Both the larger and smaller holder groups appear to be identifying deep value, possibly pointing to broad-based demand across the market.

More For You

‘Bitcoin to zero’ searches spike in the U.S., but the bottom signal is mixed

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Google Trends data shows the term hit a record high in the U.S. this month, though global interest has fallen since peaking in August.

What to know:

  • U.S. searches for “bitcoin zero” on Google hit a record high in February as BTC slid toward $60,000 after hitting a peak in October.
  • In the rest of the world, searches for the term peaked in August, suggesting fear is concentrated in the U.S. rather than worldwide.
  • Similar U.S. search spikes in 2021 and 2022 coincided with local bottoms.
  • Because Google Trends measures relative interest on a 0-to-100 scale amid a much larger bitcoin user base today, the latest U.S. spike signals elevated retail anxiety, but does not reliably guarantee a clean contrarian reversal.