Axie Infinity (AXS) has entered a critical phase after an explosive rally earlier this month. While price action has turned sharply lower, on-chain data reveals a surprising development: whales are quietly accumulating during the pullback.
The question now facing the market is simple but uncomfortable —
are large holders positioning early for continuation, or are they misreading fading momentum?
AXS Rallied 41% — Then Momentum Cracked
AXS broke out decisively on January 21, triggering a fast and largely uninterrupted rally of roughly 41%, pushing price toward the $3.00 psychological resistance.
However, the rally lacked consolidation. Buyers chased aggressively, and price stretched quickly into resistance without building a strong base. That left the market vulnerable.
Within 24 hours of rejection near $3.00, AXS dropped more than 17% day-on-day, signaling that short-term demand had weakened significantly.
Bearish Harami Flagged Buyer Exhaustion Early
The first technical warning came from the daily candlestick structure.
A bearish harami pattern formed near the local highs — a classic signal that upside momentum is slowing. This pattern occurs when a small red candle forms entirely within the body of a preceding strong green candle, suggesting buyer exhaustion and the early return of sellers.
This setup is not new for AXS.
A similar bearish harami appeared on January 18, following a strong advance. In the days that followed, AXS corrected nearly 26%, as buyers stepped aside and sellers used elevated prices to exit positions.
With price already down 17% in the latest move, the pattern again suggests that upside expansion has stalled, at least temporarily.
Whales Are Buying Again — But Context Matters
Despite the technical weakness, on-chain data shows whales shifting behavior.
According to Santiment data:
During the rally phase, large AXS holders were net sellers, likely using strength to reduce exposure after months of underperformance.
Since January 22, whale wallets have increased holdings from approximately 243.78 million AXS to 243.94 million AXS.
That represents an addition of around 160,000 AXS, worth roughly $430,000 at current prices.
This change suggests whales are no longer distributing into rallies — they are selectively accumulating into weakness.
However, accumulation alone does not guarantee immediate upside.
Exchange Flows Show Demand Is Cooling
Exchange flow data paints a more cautious picture.
On January 15, AXS saw heavy exchange inflows (~4.07 million tokens), indicating strong selling pressure.
By January 18, flows flipped sharply negative, with roughly 465,000 tokens leaving exchanges, signaling aggressive spot buying.
As of January 24, net outflows slowed to around 112,000 tokens.
This suggests buyers are still in control, but conviction is fading. Profit-taking has begun, even as whales continue to add selectively.
MFI Divergence Confirmed Weakening Momentum
Momentum indicators reinforced the warning signs.
The Money Flow Index (MFI) trended lower between January 17 and January 23, even as price pushed higher toward $2.71 and above. This bearish divergence indicated that capital inflows were weakening and that dips were no longer being bought aggressively.
Once price rolled over, the lack of nearby structural support accelerated the decline.
Key AXS Levels Now in Focus
From a technical perspective, the market has clearly defined levels:
Upside Levels
AXS must reclaim $2.54 first to stabilize structure.
A clean break and acceptance above $3.00, followed by $3.11, could reopen the path toward $4.02.
That scenario did not materialize.
Downside Risk
The loss of $2.54 — aligned with the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement — triggered the current correction.
If selling pressure continues, price could extend toward $2.20, with a deeper downside risk near $1.98.
These zones could potentially trap late whale entries if momentum fails to recover.
Final Outlook: Accumulation vs Momentum
Whales are buying, but momentum is no longer expanding.
Buyers still dominate structurally, but aggression has faded. For the rally to resume, AXS must reclaim key support levels and see renewed volume inflows. Otherwise, the market may require a deeper correction to reset conditions before the next sustainable move higher.
For now, Axie Infinity sits at a crossroads.
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions. The author and publisher are not responsible for any financial losses.
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