Large cryptocurrency holders are accumulating Bitcoin ($BTC) and Ether ($ETH) as valuations approach levels associated with the final stage of a bear market, according to CryptoQuant.

Rising whale balances during price weakness can reduce available supply and concentrate ownership among larger holders, the blockchain analytics company said in its latest Smart Money report seen by Cointelegraph.

Bitcoin whale holdings, excluding exchanges and mining pools, rose to about 3.06 million $BTC from 2.87 million $BTC in December 2025, with accumulation accelerating after Bitcoin dropped below $60,000 in June.

Source: CryptoQuant

Ethereum wallets holding 10,000 to 100,000 $ETH collectively held a record 19.6 million $ETH, while wallets holding…