Bitcoin, Ethereum See Large Withdrawals as Buyers Quietly Accumulate
Sentora’s terse tweet cut through the market noise today. “Both Bitcoin and Ether saw significant outflows from exchange wallets this week, hinting at ongoing accumulation amid price weakness,” Sentora tweeted. The observation reflects a familiar pattern: coins leaving centralized platforms often signal long-term holders stacking into private wallets while traders step back, and it comes as prices sit well below recent highs. Sentora
Bitcoin traded near $66,950 on Friday, down roughly 9% over the past week, while Ethereum hovered around $1,960, mirroring a similar weekly slide. These levels, pulled from live market feeds, show both assets testing short-term support after a bout of volatility that rattled risk markets.
Behind those headline prices, the on-chain picture was telling. Sentora and other analytics platforms flagged millions, and in some tallies billions, of dollars flowing out of exchange custody, a signal many traders interpret as accumulation rather than capitulation. Some estimates in recent reports put Bitcoin net outflows in the billions for the week, with Ethereum also showing meaningful withdrawals, suggesting holders were moving coins off exchanges even as market marks drifted lower.
The flows arrive against a backdrop of heightened macro uncertainty. Markets have been swinging on fresh economic readings and the evolving narrative around central bank policy, a dynamic that has repeatedly tugged crypto prices in both directions. Last week’s sharp moves included a rebound that briefly pushed bitcoin back above the $70,000 mark, showing how quickly sentiment can flip when equities and other risk assets stabilize. Still, many analysts warn that the path remains choppy and that downside tests are possible before the market finds a sustained footing.
What to Expect Next?
Traders watching the order books say the outflows reduce the immediate sellable supply on exchanges, which could make any future rallies sharper if buying interest returns. At the same time, funds and margin desks are adapting. Some institutional players have rebalanced exposures after late-cycle gains, and retail platforms are seeing ebbing volumes relative to the run-ups earlier in the cycle.
That mix, lower exchange reserves plus cautious capital on the sidelines, is exactly what on-chain proponents point to when they argue that accumulation is quietly building beneath headline weakness. For now, the market is split between those who view the outflows as bullish groundwork and those who treat them as a neutral bookkeeping move made by long-term holders repositioning. Price action will ultimately be the arbiter.
If buyers step in around current levels and exchange reserves keep falling, the narrative will tilt toward a deeper accumulation thesis. If macro pressures intensify and selling pressure reappears, those outflows will be seen as removed liquidity rather than a sign that holders are preparing for a multi-month rally. Whatever the outcome, this week reinforced a simple truth about crypto: on-chain signals like exchange net flows give context but not certainties. Traders and investors will be watching both the charts and the wallets closely.
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