Bitcoin has barely moved this week, up just 2% while altcoins rally — but the calm may be deceptive.
On-chain data suggests that profit-taking pressure is quietly building, with whales leading the charge.
Whale Inflows Spike to Monthly High
On July 17, wallets holding over 1,000 BTC offloaded more than 50,200 BTC onto exchanges — a move worth over $6 billion at current prices. This marks the largest whale inflow in over a month and mirrors past sell-side activity that preceded short-term dips. Similar moves earlier this month triggered minor corrections, and the pattern appears to be repeating.
Retail Signals Profit-Taking
Retail behavior also hints at caution. The short-term holder SOPR jumped to 1.05 — the highest since mid-June — signaling that recent buyers are cashing out in profit. Although SOPR has cooled slightly to 1.02, the metric remains elevated, historically correlating with pullbacks.
Price Squeezed Between Resistance and Support
Bitcoin is stuck between $117,293 support and $123,203 resistance. With whales unloading and retail showing signs of profit-taking, analysts warn of a potential 2.5–3% dip — which could push BTC down to the $117,000 zone. A break below that would open the door to $113,637.
Still, if inflows ease and SOPR trends back toward neutral, the bullish momentum could return — especially if BTC reclaims $123,203.
Editorial Team
Reporter at Coindoo
Source: https://coindoo.com/market/whale-moves-signal-caution-as-bitcoin-stalls-near-highs/