Blockchain analytics firm Glassnode says Bitcoin network activity is showing signs of a strong recovery.
This trend has historically aligned with the end of local market bottoms and the return of bullish momentum. The analysis comes at a time when Bitcoin continues to trade near $80,000 without a decisive breakout from its current range.
Key Points
Bitcoin network growth is rising fast, a signal that previously marked the end of local BTC market bottoms.
Glassnode says Bitcoin’s Network Growth metric is nearing a key bullish inflection zone above 60.
BTC options data shows traders remain cautiously bullish despite ETF outflows and CPI concerns.
Glassnode identifies $82K as a key breakout level that could trigger stronger Bitcoin momentum.
Bitcoin Network Growth Metric
In a recent post on X, Glassnode noted that Bitcoin’s “Network Growth” metric is rising quickly and approaching a key threshold within the firm’s proprietary Vector framework.
According to the analytics platform, previous surges above the 60 level have marked the beginning of stronger market conditions for BTC.
Notably, rising network growth reflects an increase in new users, wallet activity, and overall participation on the Bitcoin network. Historically, these spikes have appeared during periods when the market was recovering from prolonged weakness.
Glassnode’s latest chart suggests Bitcoin may now be nearing a similar inflection zone once again.
While the firm did not provide a specific price target, the rebound in network activity may strengthen bullish sentiment across the market, especially if participation continues to increase in the coming weeks.
BTC Options Market Shows Cautious Optimism
Glassnode also shared new insights from the Bitcoin options market. It noted that BTC has continued to hold above $80,000 despite recent ETF outflows and a slightly hotter-than-expected U.S. CPI report.
According to the analytics firm, current derivatives positioning suggests traders remain cautiously bullish, even as volatility expectations stay relatively muted.
Volatility Stays Low
According to Glassnode, market volatility remains relatively calm. One-week implied volatility is around 35%, while one-month and six-month volatility levels are about 37% and 42%, respectively.
The firm said this shows traders are not expecting panic or extreme price swings in the short term.
Traders Still Protect Against Downside Risk
Meanwhile, even with calmer market conditions, traders are still buying some protection against a possible BTC decline. Glassnode noted that demand for protective put options remains higher than demand for bullish call options.
However, hedging activity has cooled compared to earlier weeks. This suggests traders remain cautious about downside risks, but are less worried than before.
Glassnode also pointed out that Bitcoin’s recent price movement has become more stable. One-month realized volatility has fallen to around 28%, while implied volatility remains near 37%.
This means traders still expect larger price moves ahead, even though current market activity is calmer.
$82K Could Be Important for Bitcoin
Glassnode identified the $82,000 level as a key area to watch. The firm explained that if Bitcoin’s price moves above $82K, it could trigger stronger upward momentum due to dealer hedging activity.
Meanwhile, the $85,000 level may act as a stabilizing zone if BTC continues rising.
Overall, Glassnode said market conditions have become calmer, hedging demand has eased, and trader positioning is more balanced.
Still, traders remain cautious beneath the surface, with many closely watching the $82,000 level as Bitcoin’s next major test.
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart recently highlighted the sharp contrast in investor demand between spot Ethereum ETFs and spot Bitcoin ETFs.
According to Seyffart, Ethereum ETFs have recovered from earlier periods of heavy outflows and have recently recorded modest inflows. However, institutional demand for these products still lags far behind the strong momentum driving Bitcoin ETFs.
Key Points
Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart highlighted the massive disparity in investor demand between spot Ethereum ETFs and spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Ethereum ETF cumulative net flows plunged to negative $790 million in September 2024, before rebounding to stabilize around $11 billion.
Ethereum ETFs recorded their strongest growth phase in October 2025, when cumulative net inflows briefly surged to nearly $15 billion.
Despite the recovery, Ethereum ETFs still lag far behind Bitcoin ETFs, which have attracted more than $58 billion in cumulative net inflows.
Ethereum ETF Flow Turns Bullish
In a tweet today, Seyffart shared a chart showing the volatile trajectory of cumulative net flows for the Ethereum ETF since September 2024. The chart revealed that Ethereum ETFs initially struggled to sustain investor interest, with cumulative flows dropping to negative $790 million by September 2024.
Although market conditions gradually improved, inflows remained weak through the end of the year, with cumulative flows still at negative $660 million.
Ethereum ETFs experienced their strongest growth phase in October 2025, when cumulative net inflows briefly surged to nearly $15 billion.
However, that momentum later weakened. Following the October peak, cumulative inflows steadily declined before stabilizing around $11.82 billion by May 2026. At press time, cumulative flows stood at $11.93 billion, according to data from Farside Investors.
Ethereum ETF Flow Slump Trails Bitcoin
Although the recent recovery in Ethereum ETF flows signals improving investor sentiment, the figures remain significantly smaller than Bitcoin ETF inflows. At the time of reporting, spot Bitcoin ETFs had accumulated net inflows of more than $58.6 billion in cumulative net inflows. This figure exceeds total net flows into spot Ethereum ETFs by more than 391%.
Notably, spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024, while Ethereum ETFs debuted in the United States in May 2024. Even though the products launched only five months apart, institutional investors have shown far stronger interest in Bitcoin-focused products.
This preference largely stems from Bitcoin’s reputation as a “store of value” and a safer, less volatile entry point into the crypto market. In contrast, many investors view Ethereum as a higher-risk, technology-driven asset closely tied to blockchain innovation and decentralized applications.
Nonetheless, the recent inflows into Ethereum ETFs suggest that investor sentiment may be stabilizing, even as institutions remain far more comfortable allocating capital to Bitcoin investment products.
Bitcoin (BTC) has grown beyond its early days as a retail-driven market and is now on the radar of institutional investors amid sustained accumulation from these large entities.
Corporations, asset managers, and ETFs have massively built positions, and this persistent accumulation leads to an important question: what happens to market liquidity when large investors continue to scoop up more Bitcoin tokens?
When institutions accumulate Bitcoin, they move it off public exchanges into long-term storage such as cold wallets, corporate treasuries, and ETF custody systems. This reduces the amount of Bitcoin available for active trading and tightens the liquid float.
Liquidity is one of the most important aspects of this change. Specifically, institutional accumulation leads to declining exchange reserves, which in turn impact market liquidity.
While this tightening of supply can support higher prices over time, it also results in new changes around volatility and execution costs.
What Is Bitcoin Liquidity?
For the uninitiated, Bitcoin liquidity is a measure of how easily large amounts of BTC can be bought or sold without massively moving the price. It includes several elements such as trading volume, bid-ask spreads, order book depth, and slippage.
Specifically, Bitcoin’s trading volume indicates how much BTC is traded over a given period. Meanwhile, the bid-ask spread measures the gap between the highest buy order and the lowest sell order.
As for order book depth, the metric shows how much volume sits close to the current price, while slippage measures the difference between the expected price and the actual execution price for large trades.
Overall, high liquidity leads to tight spreads, deep order books, steady activity across exchanges, and minimal price impact from large trades. However, low liquidity produces wider spreads, thinner order books, and higher slippage, which makes the market more sensitive to sudden price swings.
Currently, Bitcoin trades at around $81,600, with major exchanges reporting ±2% market depth ranging from $178,000 to $28 million.
Specifically, South Korean exchange Bithumb currently has a +2% depth of $178,033, while Binance’s depth sits at $24.69 million. On Coinbase, the +2% depth holds up at $28.5 million.
To track liquidity, market participants use tools such as order book heatmaps, on-chain reserve data, and execution cost analysis from platforms like Kaiko and Amberdata.
Notably, liquidity is important because it supports efficient price discovery, encourages participation, especially from large investors, and helps reduce trading costs.
However, it can weaken during periods of stress, such as flash crashes, major news events, or waves of leveraged liquidations. Today, Bitcoin remains the most liquid crypto asset, but its liquidity profile has now moved toward institutional influence.
Why Institutional BTC Accumulation Matters
The growing rate of institutional accumulation has resulted in a major change in how Bitcoin is owned and used within the financial system.
Notably, large entities, including corporations, hedge funds, pension funds, and asset managers, now treat Bitcoin as a long-term strategic asset, seeing it as a digital alternative to gold, a hedge against inflation, and a tool for portfolio diversification.
This is important because it creates large-scale demand that absorbs new supply. After the most recent halving, Bitcoin’s issuance stands at about 450 BTC per day, yet institutional demand often exceeds that level.
Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) currently holds 818,869 BTC, representing about 3.9% of total supply, with an average acquisition cost of $75,450 per token.
In addition, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs collectively hold around 1.3 million BTC, or roughly 6.5% of circulating supply, with assets under management exceeding $106 billion at the current Bitcoin price. Meanwhile, public companies hold 1.216 million BTC, while private firms control around 289,395 tokens.
Combined, institutional and corporate holdings account for around 14% of total Bitcoin supply, much of which sits in custodial or long-term storage structures.
This reduces sell-side pressure and strengthens the “supply shock” effect, as available liquid supply tightens and demand grows. Institutional involvement also brings stronger infrastructure, regulatory oversight, and broader legitimacy, which attracts more capital into the market.
At the same time, Bitcoin’s price behavior increasingly depends on macroeconomic conditions. Factors such as global liquidity, interest rates, U.S. dollar strength, and overall risk appetite now play a larger role than retail sentiment alone.
While this change toward institutional adoption can reduce extreme volatility over time, it also introduces sensitivity to policy decisions, ETF flows, and corporate actions.
How Institutions Accumulate Bitcoin
To accumulate Bitcoin, institutions use a range of methods that could help them limit market impact, slippage, and execution costs.
Notably, spot Bitcoin ETFs is the primary channel, which allows regulated access through traditional financial systems. Their in-kind creation and redemption processes allow authorized participants to transfer Bitcoin efficiently without always relying on open market transactions.
BlackRock’s IBIT leads the ETF space, managing more than $65 billion in assets with a balance of 818,147 BTC. Across the broader ETF market, weekly flows can reach as high as $2 billion, with the largest weekly figure being $3.38 billion, recorded in late November 2024.
Also, over-the-counter (OTC) desks provide another major route for accumulation. Institutions use these desks to execute large block trades, often $1 million or more, through private negotiations.
This helps them avoid moving the public order book and allows trades to be completed with minimal market impact. Desks associated with major exchanges and specialized providers source liquidity from multiple counterparties to handle these transactions.
Another method is the corporate treasury model. Here, companies such as Strategy raise capital through debt, equity, or preferred shares to fund ongoing Bitcoin purchases. Meanwhile, custody providers like Coinbase, BitGo, and Fidelity support these holdings with secure storage solutions.
Institutions may also use futures, exchange-traded products, and structured instruments to gain exposure or hedge positions. Most accumulation strategies are gradual like dollar-cost averaging, and rely on advanced execution tools, prime brokers, and custodians.
This use of multiple channels allows institutions to deploy large amounts of capital without creating immediate disruption in the market.
What Happens to Exchange Liquidity
As institutional accumulation continues, Bitcoin leaves centralized exchanges and moves into long-term storage. Exchange reserves have dropped to around 2.687 million, per CryptoQuant data, down from levels above 3 million BTC just last year. This represents roughly 13% of circulating supply, a major decline over time.
bitcoin exchange reserve
At the same time, more than 74% of Bitcoin supply is now classified as illiquid, with figures exceeding 14 million BTC held by long-term holders who rarely move their coins.
This directly affects exchange liquidity. Specifically, spot markets now operate with tighter available supply, and price discovery relies more heavily on the remaining order book depth and derivatives markets.
In addition, the ±2% market depth continues to fluctuate. In thinner conditions, slippage increases for large orders, and prices become more sensitive to changes in demand. ETF inflows and outflows, corporate purchases, and movements from large holders can all have a more noticeable effect on price.
Overall, this environment can lead to a bullish supply situation because fewer coins remain available for sale.
However, it also introduces short-term fragility, where relatively small changes in demand can lead to larger price movements. Derivatives markets and institutional arbitrage help provide some balance, but the underlying constraint on spot liquidity remains.
How OTC Accumulation Affects the Market
OTC accumulation allows institutions to move large amounts of Bitcoin without interacting with public exchanges. These trades take place privately, at or near mid-market prices, with desks sourcing liquidity from miners, long-term holders, or other counterparties.
In the short term, this reduces slippage and limits immediate price impact. However, over the medium to long term, it contributes to tighter spot liquidity because the acquired Bitcoin moves into custody and out of active circulation.
Meanwhile, when OTC desks run low on inventory, they often need to source Bitcoin from public markets, which can create upward pressure on price. OTC trading now accounts for a major share of institutional activity, sometimes exceeding 50% of total volume for large players, with Bitcoin dominating these flows.
While OTC markets support efficient institutional participation, they also introduce risks related to counterparty exposure and settlement. Reputable desks address these risks through collateral and established processes.
The Role of Bitcoin ETFs
Spot Bitcoin ETFs, launched in 2024, have changed how capital enters the market. They provide regulated exposure through traditional brokerage accounts, attracting wealth managers, registered investment advisors, pension funds, and retail investors.
Currently, U.S. spot ETFs hold approximately 1.3 million BTC, representing 6.6% of total supply, with total assets under management sitting around $107 billion. BlackRock’s IBIT continues to lead, holding $66.74 billion in net assets and accounting for a large share of inflows.
In April 2026 alone, ETFs recorded about $1.97 billion in inflows, showing strong demand following earlier market fluctuations. These funds act as a consistent source of buying pressure, absorbing supply at a pace that at times exceeds new issuance.
The Link Between Low Liquidity and Price Volatility
Low liquidity naturally increases volatility because thinner order books cannot absorb large trades without massive price movements. When fewer orders exist near the current price, even moderate buying or selling can push prices sharply in either direction.
Bitcoin’s current structure shows this. Notably, declining exchange reserves and rising illiquid supply will increase the market’s sensitivity to demand shocks.
Meanwhile, institutional participation could bring in stabilizing forces, as large investors tend to hold positions longer and rely less on short-term speculation.
Recent data shows that realized volatility has declined compared to earlier market cycles. For instance, a recent CryptoQuant report confirmed that the 30-day Bitcoin volatility index on Binance dropped to 0.21, its lowest level since last September.
btc realize volatility index
However, short-term spikes in volatility still occur, especially during major news events or periods of high leverage in derivatives markets.
How Institutional Holding Reshapes Bitcoin’s Market Structure
Meanwhile, institutional ownership has helped to change Bitcoin into a macro-driven asset. In this case, the supply becomes more inelastic as a larger share of coins remains locked in long-term storage.
In addition to this, demand increasingly depends on global liquidity conditions, monetary policy, and institutional allocation strategies.
This leads to longer market cycles and a more measured pace of price movement. The market now features deeper liquidity in some areas but also greater concentration among large holders.
Also, integration with traditional financial systems could improve efficiency but may introduce new risks around regulation and correlated capital flows.
Impact of Institutional BTC Accumulation on Retail Traders
Institutional Bitcoin accumulation benefits retail traders as these investors witness stronger price support, broader market access, and increased legitimacy. However, they also face a market where institutions play a larger role in determining price trends and liquidity conditions.
To adapt, retail participants can track institutional flows, use ETFs where appropriate, and focus on long-term strategies such as self-custody. While institutions dominate overall capital flows, retail traders still maintain flexibility, especially in shorter-term opportunities. For more on Bitcoin news today and the latest BTC price market updates, visit our dedicated coverage hub
FAQs
Does Institutional Buying Remove Bitcoin From Circulation?
Institutional buying removes a meaningful portion of Bitcoin from active circulation. ETFs alone hold about 1.3 million BTC, while exchange reserves have fallen to roughly 2.6 million BTC, compared to levels above 3 million BTC last year.
With daily issuance around 450 BTC, institutional demand continues to absorb a large share of supply, tightening the available float.
Why Does Lower Liquidity Cause More Volatility?
Lower liquidity means fewer orders are available near the current price, so large trades have a greater impact. As more Bitcoin moves into long-term holdings, the market reacts more strongly to changes in demand, leading to larger price swings.
How Is OTC Accumulation Different From Exchange Buying?
OTC accumulation involves private trades that avoid public order books, which helps reduce price impact and maintain stability. On the other hand, exchange trading fully visible and can move prices more easily, especially when liquidity is thin.
Will Institutional Accumulation Affect the Next Bitcoin Bull Run?
Institutional accumulation already influences Bitcoin’s market direction and is likely to play a major role in future bull runs.
As they absorb supply and reduce selling pressure, institutions create stronger price support and set the stage for sustained upward movement driven by consistent capital inflows rather than short-term speculation.
Analyst Ali Martinez believes Cardano may be entering a new bullish phase after a key technical indicator flipped positive for the first time in months.
In a recent post on X, Martinez said the SuperTrend indicator has issued a fresh buy signal on ADA’s daily chart.
He described the indicator as one of his most reliable tools for tracking Cardano’s long-term direction. According to him, the same indicator previously flashed a sell signal on September 25, 2025, a call that accurately marked the beginning of a 73% correction in Cardano’s price.
After enduring months of heavy downside pressure, Martinez now believes the exhaustion phase may be ending. In other words, a trend reversal could be underway.
Key Points
Cardano flashes a buy signal as SuperTrend turns bullish, hinting at a possible trend reversal ahead.
Ali Martinez sees ADA recovery forming with key support at $0.25, still holding firm.
Upside targets include $0.33 and $0.42 if momentum continues in the current setup.
Whales continue to accumulate over 25B ADA, signaling strong long-term confidence despite past declines.
SuperTrend Indicator Turns Bullish on ADA
Martinez explained that the recent change in the SuperTrend indicator suggests Cardano may be preparing for a strong upward move if current support levels hold.
He identified $0.33 as the first major resistance target. With ADA currently trading at $0.2668, a rally to that level would represent an increase of approximately 23.2% from current levels.
If bullish momentum continues beyond that point, Martinez expects Cardano to push toward a secondary target of $0.42. That move would represent a gain of roughly 56.8% from ADA’s current price.
However, the analyst also pointed to the importance of the $0.25 support zone. According to Martinez, his bullish outlook remains valid as long as ADA stays above that level. A breakdown below $0.25 could delay the expected recovery and potentially weaken the current setup.
Price Gradually Climbs
According to CoinMarketCap data, Cardano is trading at $0.2668, up 0.83% over the past 24 hours. ADA has also posted gains of around 1.32% over the past week, while extending its monthly performance to roughly 12%.
Cardano’s latest daily move has closely tracked the broader crypto market trend. Over the past day, Bitcoin touched $82,000 before retracing, suggesting ADA’s recent recovery is partly being supported by improving market-wide sentiment.
“Incredibly Clean” Chart with $4 ADA Target
In a separate update, analyst Celal Kucuker argued that Cardano is one of the strongest candidates in the current bull cycle. Specifically, he said its long-term chart structure is “incredibly clean.”
Accordingly, he projects a potential move toward $4.21 if ADA breaks above key resistance near $1. A rally to $4 from current levels around $0.2600 would represent gains of nearly 1,394%, surpassing ADA’s 2021 all-time high of $3.10.
Given these prospects, whales are already aggressively accumulating ADA. Millionaire wallets now control a record 25.09 billion ADA, representing over 67% of the circulating supply.
Notably, accumulation has continued since December 2023 despite a 71% price drop during the period. This suggests large investors are positioning for a long-term recovery rather than exiting.
Blockchain wallets holding at least 10 million XRP now control more than 60% of the token’s circulating supply, reaching their highest level since May 2018.
On-chain analytics platform Santiment highlighted a growing accumulation trend among XRP’s largest holders as the asset approaches the psychological $1.50 price level.
Key Points
The number of XRP Ledger wallets holding at least 10 million XRP has climbed to its highest level in eight years.
These whale addresses collectively control 45.83 billion XRP, representing more than 74% of the token’s circulating supply.
According to Santiment, the ongoing accumulation trend is one of the major factors supporting XRP’s push toward $1.50.
Amid the surge in whale activity, wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP also reached a new all-time high of 332,230 earlier this week.
Addresses Holding 10M XRP Reach 8-Year High
XRP is attracting renewed market attention as large holders continue to aggressively accumulate the asset while the token approaches the key $1.50 milestone.
According to Santiment data, wallets holding at least 10 million XRP now control a combined 45.83 billion XRP worth approximately $68.5 billion. Notably, this marks the largest whale-held balance since May 2018.
These wallets now account for over 74% of XRP’s circulating supply, underscoring the growing dominance of large holders across the ecosystem.
XRP Whales with 10M XRP Holdings Reach 8-Year Record High
Whale Accumulation Supports XRP Price
The trend comes as XRP continues trading near the $1.50 region. At press time, XRP was trading at $1.46 after gaining 5.72% in the past week and 3.1% over the past day.
Santiment identified the ongoing whale accumulation trend as a major factor supporting XRP’s recent momentum. In the meantime, large holders appear to be increasing their accumulation instead of slowing down.
Notably, Santiment’s chart shows that whale holdings have steadily climbed since 2021. Even during broader market downturns, large wallets consistently expanded their XRP balances.
Addresses Holding 10K XRP Hit Record High
Meanwhile, accumulation activity has spread beyond mega-whales. Recent Santiment data shows that wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP reached a record high of 332,230 this week.
According to the analytics platform, the number of wallets holding 10,000 XRP or more has increased steadily since June 2024. The figure has spiked to 332,253 addresses since the Santiment report. Growth is primarily driven by retail investors holding 10,000 to 100,000 XRP, which represents around 300,260 of the total addresses.
This trend often signals strong long-term conviction among investors. Across crypto markets, analysts closely monitor whale accumulation because large holders frequently influence liquidity, volatility, and overall market direction.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson recently revealed how the project plans to address the long-term risks posed by quantum computing.
Speaking in an interview on Gokhshtein News Network, Hoskinson indicated that Cardano is proactively addressing concerns surrounding quantum computing before they become an immediate threat.
Although experts believe practical quantum threats remain years away, several blockchain projects, including Cardano, have already started researching quantum-resistant alternatives.
Key Points
Charles Hoskinson revealed that Cardano is proactively preparing for the potential long-term risks posed by quantum computing.
Hoskinson said the network is currently voting on a dedicated quantum strategy, with a research proposal centered on quantum resistance expected next week.
He noted that the initiative involves several partners alongside multiple advanced technical components designed to strengthen Cardano’s future security.
Hoskinson also sought to ease concerns about implementing quantum-related upgrades, noting that Cardano already conducts regular hard forks each year.
Cardano Preparing for Quantum Computing Risks
During the interview, Hoskinson explained how Cardano intends to prepare for future quantum computing risks, emphasizing that the network’s governance system makes large-scale upgrades easier to coordinate.
According to him, the Cardano ecosystem is currently voting on a quantum strategy while also preparing a research proposal scheduled for release next week.
He stressed that the initiative involves multiple partners, additional technical features, and a long-term migration path designed to help users transition toward quantum-resistant infrastructure when necessary.
Cardano Can Replicate Bitcoin’s BIP-361 Solution to Address Quantum Threats: Hoskinson
Hoskinson suggested that Cardano could replicate Bitcoin’s proposed BIP-361 solution to protect the network against quantum threats.
For context, BIP-361 is a proposed Bitcoin upgrade that aims to defend the network against quantum computing risks by enforcing a phased five-year migration from legacy addresses to quantum-resistant addresses.
According to Hoskinson, Cardano could adopt a similar approach without major difficulty. He downplayed the complexity of implementing large-scale upgrades, noting that Cardano already conducts hard forks regularly.
“It is very easy to facilitate that migration path. It’s just a hard fork that we implement every year,” Hoskinson stated.
Hoskinson Stresses Importance of Governance in Tackling Quantum Threats
Meanwhile, Hoskinson emphasized the broader importance of decentralized governance within blockchain ecosystems. He explained that governance systems become especially valuable when communities must coordinate responses to major threats or structural changes.
According to Hoskinson, this importance motivated Cardano to invest heavily in governance infrastructure. He argued that governance enables decentralized communities to make collective decisions during critical moments.
To illustrate the concept, Hoskinson compared future quantum threats to an asteroid approaching Earth. He argued that even countries facing geopolitical tensions would still need to cooperate to solve a shared existential problem.
Using China, Russia, and the United States as examples of nations engaged in a “soft war,” Hoskinson explained that blockchain governance creates a framework for collective decision-making during crises.
He also noted that governance is not necessarily ideal for everyday operational decisions because it can slow processes down. However, he maintained that governance becomes essential when ecosystems face major changes such as tokenomic adjustments, strategic partnerships, or security threats like quantum computing.
Blockchain Projects Intensifying Efforts Against Quantum Risks
His remarks come as blockchain projects seek early solutions to the risks posed by future advances in quantum computing. Recently, several projects have moved beyond theoretical discussions and started proposing or implementing post-quantum cryptography solutions designed to defend against rapidly advancing quantum capabilities.
Last month, Ripple unveiled a four-phase roadmap aimed at making the XRP Ledger resistant to quantum threats by 2028. Meanwhile, Bitcoin developers proposed BIP-360 and BIP-361 to help migrate vulnerable BTC holdings into safer addresses.
In addition, developers at Blockstream proposed adopting hash-based post-quantum signature systems such as SHRIMPS and SHRINCS to strengthen Bitcoin’s resistance against quantum attacks.
Financial analyst Celal Kucuker shared a bullish outlook on Cardano (ADA), calling it one of the strongest candidates in the current bull market cycle.
In a recent post on X, Kucuker pointed to Cardano’s long-term chart structure and argued that a move toward $4 “looks incredibly clean.”
The analyst also described ADA as one of the “strong star candidates” of the ongoing bull run. His comments come as Cardano attempts to recover from a prolonged period of price weakness that has left the asset trading far below its previous highs.
Key Points
Analyst sees ADA forming a strong base with a clean structure, eyeing a potential move toward the $4 target.
Cardano may break the $1 resistance first, with upside projection extending toward $4.21 if momentum builds.
Whales now hold record ADA supply share, signaling strong long-term accumulation despite price weakness.
ADA is still down 65% yearly, but analysts say consolidation could support a major bullish breakout ahead.
Cardano Strong Technical Setup
Kucuker’s chart analysis highlights a large rounded formation, suggesting Cardano is building a long-term base after years of consolidation and decline.
The chart indicates ADA may be preparing for a breakout above the key resistance area around $1. If it reclaims that level, the next major target sits near $4.21.
From Cardano’s current price of $0.2678, a rally to $4 would represent an increase of nearly 1,394%. Such a move would also push ADA beyond its previous all-time high of around $3.10, reached in September 2021.
ADA Price Climbs Alongside Broader Crypto Market
Cardano traded at $0.2678 at the time of writing, gaining around 1.2% over the past 24 hours and posting additional gains over the past week.
The move comes as the wider crypto market has also turned positive. Bitcoin rose by roughly 1.27% during the same period, while the total crypto market capitalization increased by about 1.05%.
This suggests Cardano’s latest price increase may be partly due to improving overall market sentiment rather than a standalone catalyst. Meanwhile, ADA’s recent recovery has helped renew attention on the asset after a difficult year.
Cardano Remains Far Below Previous Levels
Despite recent gains, Cardano remains down approximately 65% over the past year. The cryptocurrency previously traded above $0.80 before entering a prolonged downtrend.
The decline has kept ADA significantly below its 2021 peak. However, analysts now believe the extended consolidation phase could eventually support a major breakout if market conditions continue improving.
Whales Loading ADA
Cardano whales are aggressively accumulating, with wallets holding at least 1 million ADA now controlling a record 25.09 billion ADA. This represents about 67.47% of the circulating supply, according to Santiment.
This accumulation trend has continued since December 2023, despite a 71% drop in ADA’s market value over the past nine months. Santiment notes that this suggests large investors are positioning for a long-term recovery rather than exiting during the downturn.
🤑 Cardano’s key stakeholders have slowly but surely accumulated, consistently adding more and more of the existing supply to their bags, dating back to December, 2023.
🐳 Wallets with at least 1M tokens now hold 25.09B $ADA, which translates to 67.47% of the current existing… pic.twitter.com/knuSbfYtaE
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) May 13, 2026
Near-Term Targets
Separately, analyst Ali Martinez argued Cardano may be setting up for a rebound after months of downside pressure. He sees upside targets at $0.33 and $0.42 if momentum builds, but warns that $0.25 support must hold to keep the bullish setup intact.
In summary, the technical signal, combined with whale accumulation, is being viewed by traders as a possible early sign of recovery.
Financial analyst Celal Kucuker has made a bold price prediction for XRP, suggesting a double-digit outlook that could rival Ethereum in market rankings.
In a recent post on X, Kucuker said XRP’s chart structure looks “so strong” that a major breakout could be ahead. He added that XRP could eventually compete with Ethereum by market capitalization if the rally plays out as expected.
He urged followers to bookmark the tweet and revisit it in the future, adding, “Time will make everything clear.”
Key Points
Analyst Celal Kucuker says XRP’s strong chart setup could support a massive rally toward $17.
XRP reaching $17 would push its market cap above $1 trillion and rival Ethereum’s position.
Kucuker previously predicted XRP could climb between $8 and $12 by April 2027 if momentum holds.
XRP recently hit $1.55 before pulling back, showing strong resistance at higher price levels.
The Road to $17 for XRP
Notably, the prediction comes as XRP continues to hold above key support levels despite market volatility. XRP is currently trading at $1.46, up 2.5% over the past 24 hours and nearly 6% over the last seven days. Its market capitalization now stands at around $90 billion.
For XRP to climb from $1.46 to $17, the asset would need to rise by roughly 1,064%. Based on XRP’s current valuation, a move to $17 would push its market capitalization to approximately $1.05 trillion.
In other words, a move to $17 would require sustained buying pressure, major capital inflows, and a crypto bull market strong enough to support trillion-dollar valuations across multiple digital assets.
XRP Rivaling Ethereum
Notably, that figure would place XRP far above Ethereum’s current market capitalization of $271 billion. Ethereum is trading around $2,250, down about 1% over the past day.
Even if Ethereum records further gains during the cycle, XRP reaching the trillion-dollar mark would likely put it in direct competition with ETH for the second-largest cryptocurrency spot behind Bitcoin.
Analyst Points to Long-Term Breakout Structure
Kucuker’s analysis follows growing optimism among XRP traders who believe the asset is forming a long-term bullish continuation pattern.
The chart shared by the analyst shows XRP’s price holding above a major ascending trendline. It highlights targeting the $3 resistance level before a possible move toward double-digit prices.
Notably, in an earlier analysis, Celal Kucuker argued that XRP could climb to between $8 and $12 by April 2027. This outlook was based on its long-term chart structure and historical price trends.
Kucuker’s chart suggested an initial move toward $6.70, followed by a rally above $12 if bullish momentum continues. If XRP reaches $8, it would represent a gain of about 471% from current levels, while a rise to $12 would mean an increase of roughly 757%.
The analyst also noted improving momentum signals, though XRP still needs to break key resistance levels to confirm a stronger uptrend.
Over the past day, the coin touched $1.55, one of its highest prices since March. However, it quickly lost momentum and retraced to $1.46 at press time, highlighting the strong resistance at higher price levels.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently summarized more than a decade of XRP development in less than a minute, highlighting the key features that make the token unique.
Speaking during Ripple’s “XRP In A Minute” segment at XRP Las Vegas, Garlinghouse stressed that developers designed XRP from the start to solve real-world payment challenges rather than serve purely as a speculative cryptocurrency.
Key Points
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse explains the key attributes that set XRP apart in just one minute.
Garlinghouse says the XRP Ledger was built from the ground up as a payments-focused blockchain designed to solve inefficiencies in traditional payments.
He emphasizes that the network settles transactions within five seconds while charging a negligible fee per transaction.
Garlinghouse also points to XRP’s strong and active global community as a major factor behind the ecosystem’s long-term growth and uniqueness.
Ripple CEO Says XRPL Was Designed for Payments
Notably, Garlinghouse condensed more than ten years of XRP’s development into a brief explanation of the digital asset’s core strengths and long-term vision.
He explained that XRP continues to stand out in the cryptocurrency industry despite growing competition and changing market conditions.
According to Garlinghouse, XRP’s story began with developers who previously contributed to Bitcoin’s ecosystem. However, they recognized an opportunity to build the XRP Ledger (XRPL) specifically for payments, rather than relying on Bitcoin’s original structure. As a result, they created a blockchain optimized for speed, affordability, and scalability.
Factors That Make XRP Unique
Discussing the features that distinguish XRP, Garlinghouse first highlighted the network’s speed. He noted that the XRPL settles transactions within three to five seconds, making it one of the fastest blockchain payment networks.
In addition, he pointed to XRP’s extremely low transaction fees as another defining feature. According to him, users can transfer value across the network for only fractions of a penny.
Moreover, Garlinghouse emphasized the XRPL’s operational scale. He revealed that the network has processed more than four billion transactions, demonstrating consistent activity and reliability throughout its lifespan.
Beyond the technology itself, Garlinghouse identified the XRP community as another major strength. He described the community as both a family and, during more intense moments, an army, reflecting the strong loyalty among XRP supporters worldwide.
Furthermore, he stressed the importance of XRP’s longevity. While many crypto projects struggle to survive multiple market cycles, Garlinghouse argued that XRP’s decade-long presence adds credibility and stability to the network.
Growing Adoption of XRP for Payments
Notably, growing institutional adoption of XRPL-based payment solutions supports claims that the blockchain was originally designed for payments. Since launching in 2012, the XRPL has attracted major financial institutions, including SBI Holdings, Banco Rendimento, and UnionBank.
More recently, Ripple, Ondo Finance, JPMorgan Chase, and Mastercard completed a landmark transaction linking the XRPL with traditional interbank settlement infrastructure. During the transaction, participants used the XRPL as the blockchain layer for redeeming tokenized assets.
A market analyst points out that XRP has continued to accumulate for over 100 days, says it feels like “they’ve fired up the rockets.”
Specifically, Celal Küçüker shared a daily XRP chart showing that the crypto asset has undergone what looks like a 100-day accumulation trend below a multi-month descending trendline. He believes this could be a precursor for an explosive push, as a breakout looms.
Key Points
After XRP dropped from $3.6 in July 2025, it recorded lower highs under a descending trendline.
This developed into an accumulation phase from February 2026, as XRP started seeing higher lows.
XRP has spent 107 days in this accumulation phase, which features a symmetrical triangle.
Küçüker says this 100-day accumulation feels like “they’ve fired up their rockets and are waiting.”
XRP has now moved close to the tip of the symmetrical triangle, making a breakout imminent.
XRP’s Pullback from July 2025 Peak
Küçüker’s analysis comes on the back of renewed bullish momentum across the broader crypto market, which XRP has leveraged to reclaim and hold above the $1.45 level.
Despite this upward push, XRP still nurses significant losses, especially when considering its position late last year and early this year. Specifically, after reaching an all-time high of $3.66 by July 2025, XRP recorded a massive pullback, dropping to $2.62 by early August before recovering above $3.
However, despite the rebound, XRP’s price action continued to record lower highs from the July 2025 peak. This resulted in the formation of a descending trendline on the daily chart that capped the crypto asset’s upside potential for multiple months.
XRP Slips into Accumulation Phase
With selling pressure stationed along this descending trendline, XRP’s downward trend eventually pushed the crypto asset to new lows in early February. However, after this, it slipped into a choppy recovery pathway, which yielded a series of higher lows despite not reclaiming previous highs.
XRP 1D Chart | Celal Kucuker
Since then, XRP has been consolidating below $1.60 but has continued to witness higher lows, leading to the accumulation phase Küçüker highlighted. This accumulation, which takes the form of a symmetrical triangle, has lasted for about 107 days now.
Speaking on the extent of this phase, Küçüker remarked: ‘It’s like they’ve fired up their rockets and are waiting…,’ indicating that the build-up that has lasted for 100 days since February 2026 could eventually lead to an explosive surge for XRP.
Possible XRP Breakout Targets
Data from the accompanying chart shows that Küçüker expects XRP to breach the upper descending trendline that has capped its upside growth since July 2025, as the price action moves closer to the apex of the symmetrical triangle.
First, XRP would have to reclaim and close above $1.55 to successfully break out of the accumulation phase. From there, Küçüker places the first target at $2.4, representing a 62% from the current price and marking the resistance area that capped XRP’s early January upsurge.
If XRP breaches this resistance this time, the market analyst believes its next target would be $3.1. This aligns with a previous resistance area along the multi-month descending trendline. Above this is the $3.6 all-time high, which, if reclaimed, could set XRP up for an upward push toward price discovery.
