Why Ethereum strengthens despite whale selling – Inside Asia premium twist

Ethereum’s cohort behavior continues to shape market expectations, but this time the signals are mixed.

Over the past day, Ethereum [ETH] has maintained a neutral stance, showing neither strong bullish nor bearish dominance, and is currently trading at $3,033 at press time. Price could, however, make a decisive move as new patterns emerge.

This cohort remains a strong influence on price

Wallets holding 1,000–10,000 ETH remained the most bearish and pushed price lower after ETH crossed $5,000. Their steady sell-off increased circulating supply and reinforced the recent downtrend.

By contrast, wallets holding 10,000–1 million ETH stayed relatively inactive through this period, showing no aggressive accumulation or distribution.

Source: Alphractal

The Heatmap showed ongoing silent distribution across cohorts. This trend may delay a strong directional shift unless a larger buyer group reappears.

U.S. and Asian investors share a similar outlook

U.S. and Korean investors are currently showing similar behavior towards Ethereum.

While on-chain data indicated that distribution has largely taken place, silent accumulation has continued among these groups, particularly among U.S. investors.

U.S. investors appear to be the most bullish. This trend was tracked using the Coinbase Premium Index. Since the 1st of December, this group has quietly accumulated Ethereum from the market.

The index moved from -0.02 to a positive level of 0.03 and continued to trend upward at press time, suggesting ongoing accumulation and a strong possibility that the trend could persist.

Source: CryptoQuant

Similarly, Korean investors continue to display the same pattern via the Korea Premium Index. This index has stayed above 1 as these investors continue accumulating since September.

However, buying pressure has gradually weakened, as indicated by the downward trend in the chart line. This suggests that investors are reducing exposure slightly, while still maintaining a generally bullish outlook.

Reserve trend supports a bullish narrative

Investors have continued to move funds away from exchanges over the past few days, which remains a positive signal for Ethereum.

At the time of reporting, reserves have stayed flat after rising significantly between the 4th and 6th of December. That rise suggested a higher willingness to sell; however, the current flat trend implies a potential shift in sentiment.

The number of Exchange-Depositing Addresses remained a critical metric supporting this bullish outlook.

Source: CryptoQuant

Deposits fell from roughly 106,100 on 30 November to about 5,197 at press time.

The chart showed Bitcoin depositing addresses; directional interpretation retained but attribution adjusted.

Fewer depositing addresses usually reflect fewer active sellers. This trend is now forming the backbone of ETH’s short-term bullish case.

Final Thoughts

• Ethereum sits at a point where quiet whales, rising U.S. accumulation, and declining sell pressure create a restrained but constructive backdrop.
• Traders may watch whether the 1k–10k cohort stops selling, as that shift could dictate ETH’s next decisive move.