Bitcoin did not have a great week. Price slipped roughly 6% and is now trading around the $88,000 level, putting pressure back on short-term sentiment. After weeks of steady gains, the pullback has reopened the debate about whether this move is just a pause or the start of something deeper. We already covered several reasons behind the dip earlier this week, but new developments are adding context to the market’s unease. At the same time, something very different is happening beneath the surface. Bitcoin’s largest holders are quietly accumulating. And that contrast is starting to make bears uncomfortable. Why Bitcoin Pulled Back This Week Part of the pressure came from politics rather than charts. Odds of a U.S. government shutdown by month-end surged to 77% on Polymarket, jumping 67% in just 24 hours. Senate Democrats have vowed to block a funding bill, raising fears of another fiscal standoff in Washington. For crypto, this matters because it directly delays the CLARITY Act, a major market-structure bill meant to bring long-awaited regulatory clarity. That uncertainty has weighed on prices for weeks and continues to hang over the market. Another blow came from South Korea. Prosecutors revealed that roughly $47 million worth of seized Bitcoin went missing after a phishing attack during a routine inspection. The incident exposed serious weaknesses in how authorities secure digital assets, shaking confidence in institutional handling of crypto custody. These events did not crash the market, but they added to the fragile mood that already existed. What the Whales Are Doing Instead While headlines stay heavy, Bitcoin whales are acting in the opposite direction. Santiment data shows that wallets holding at least 1,000 BTC have collectively added around 104,340 BTC in recent weeks. That represents a 1.5% increase in their total holdings. At the same time, the number of daily transfers above $1 million has climbed back to two-month highs.$SOL
Bitcoin Whales Ramp Up Accumulation: Wallets Holding 1,000+ BTC Add Over 104,000 Coins Alternative headline options: Santiment Data Shows Surge in Whale Activity as Large BTC Holders Boost Positions by 1.5% Crypto Market Insight: Major Bitcoin Wallets Increase Holdings While $1M+ Transfers Spike
Whale Alert: Large Bitcoin Holders Step Up Accumulation as High-Value Transfers Hit Two-Month High $BTC
Davos 2026: Mark Carney Warns of Waning Dollar Power as BRICS Push CBDC Integration
At the World Economic Forum 2026, Mark Carney pointed to the declining influence of the US dollar as BRICS nations—led by India—advance the technical rollout of central bank digital currencies and build alternatives to Western payment networks. He described the rise of a fragmented global system and urged middle powers to follow a “third-way” strategy of shared sovereignty rather than depending on major global powers.
Japanese gaming firm KLab has revealed a fresh investment of 200 million yen into Bitcoin and gold ETFs, as reported by Foresight News. The latest allocation includes the purchase of 8.44 $BTC along with 3,370 gold ETF shares. Following this move, KLab’s total holdings have increased to 12.80828 Bitcoin and 5,230 shares of gold. In its latest market outlook, the company suggested that Bitcoin could rebound to its previous peak of 12.6 million yen, with the possibility of extending gains toward the 20 million yen level.
The total crypto market value stands at $3 trillion, slipping 1.18% in the last 24 hours. Bitcoin moved between $88.5K and $91.2K and is now trading near $89.6K, posting a modest 0.49% gain.
While top cryptocurrencies show mixed trends, $SOMI , $KAIA IA, and $ENSO SO led the market with strong rallies of 45%, 38%, and 34%.
$BTC As of late Friday, January 23, 2026, at 7:00 PM UTC, Bitcoin is experiencing high volatility and is in a period of consolidation, with conflicting technical signals suggesting the next 5-hour move is uncertain. The current price is approximately $90,547.61 USD