Victoria Bazir
Cardano (ADA) market took a hit this week as blockchain data exposed a major exodus from whale wallets. Big players holding between 100 million and 1 billion ADA unloaded roughly 100 million coins in a span of three days, creating waves across the crypto community and putting downward pressure on the token's price.
Massive Whale Sell-Off Shakes Cardano Market
According to crypto analyst Ali, these large-scale holders significantly reduced their positions in a coordinated move that caught many traders off guard.
The Santiment chart backing this claim shows a clear connection between dropping whale balances and ADA's declining price. From late September's $0.88 peak, ADA tumbled to around $0.64 by the end of October 2025. This kind of movement typically suggests a distribution phase—when major investors cash out after gains, often leading to consolidation or further drops.
Chart Analysis: Whale Distribution Meets Price Decline
The data paints a straightforward picture. Whale holdings plummeted from about 4.3 billion ADA to 3.9 billion within a week in early October—that's a 9% drop that lined up perfectly with ADA breaking below $0.70. Both the price line and the whale balance area on the chart moved downward together through mid-October, confirming that these big players kept selling. Right now, ADA is hovering near $0.64, with the next meaningful support sitting around $0.60. Whether the token bounces or breaks lower depends largely on whether whale selling tapers off and smaller investors start buying the dip.
What's Behind the Whale Activity
A few scenarios could explain why these major holders decided to exit:
- Profit-taking after October's rally: ADA shot up earlier in the month, giving whales the perfect window to secure profits
- Capital rotation into Bitcoin ETFs: Institutional money has been flowing into Bitcoin as ETF products gain traction
- General market uncertainty: With macro headwinds and volatility hitting risk assets, whales might be cutting exposure across altcoins
Still, Cardano's ecosystem keeps growing with fresh DeFi partnerships, Layer-2 progress, and governance improvements—developments that could eventually counter the current bearish mood.
Market Reaction and What It Means
When whales sell aggressively, short-term corrections usually follow, but these moves can also signal the tail end of distribution before accumulation kicks back in. Retail traders often panic during these moments, which cranks up volatility even more. The parallel drop in both whale holdings and price serves as a warning sign, though it doesn't necessarily mean ADA is headed for a long-term decline. If the token stays above $0.60 and whale outflows slow down, sentiment could find its footing as November approaches.
Victoria Bazir
