Arbitrum drops 15% – Can $17M bridge inflows spark ARB’s rebound?

Arbitrum [ARB], an Ethereum Layer 2 solution, dropped over 15% in a week, at press time. Despite persistent volatility, native bridge volume surged, signaling significant capital inflows.

However, ARB fell below key support levels, leaving investors uncertain about a potential rebound or further downside.

$17M native bridge inflows signal…

On the 23rd of January, ARB saw $17 million flow into its native bridge, with institutional players positioning for a potential recovery. 

Source: X

The 14.66% daily surge in bridge volume underscored rising investor interest. However, despite this increase, the token slipped below its multi‑month support range from November 2025 and has struggled to reclaim that level.

Source: TradingView

At press time, the MACD indicator showed weakness, pointing to further downside risk if ARB couldn’t recover. While the RSI indicated oversold conditions, often a sign of potential rebound, the market’s direction remained uncertain.

Could this sharp drop signal a bottom, or is more downside ahead?

Whale orders clustered around $0.17

CryptoQuant’s data revealed that whale orders had clustered around the $0.17 dip, indicating that large investors were positioning at these lower levels, likely anticipating a potential reversal.

Whale activity often precedes price shifts, but it was still uncertain whether retail investors would follow suit.

Source: CryptoQuant

Did whale positioning signal a reversal, or was the downtrend set to continue?

Reversal setup or continuation of the downtrend?

With whale activity and strong inflows, $ARB appeared to be setting up for a reversal.

However, broader market sentiment remained a risk, and reclaiming support levels would be crucial for any upward momentum. Without this, further consolidation or deeper declines were possible.

Was Arbitrum setting up for positive repricing, or was the downtrend destined to continue?

Final Thoughts:

• ARB dropped 15% and broke below its multi-month support range, but whale activity and bridge inflows suggested a potential reversal.
• Watching whether the breakdown was a fakeout was crucial to avoid catching a falling knife.