The cryptocurrency market gained momentum following the release of steady US inflation data for December. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.7% year-over-year, broadly in line with expectations and continuing a cooling trend. This eased pressure around near-term interest rate cuts and lifted risk sentiment across financial markets, including crypto.
On-chain data reveals that large holders, or "whales," responded with measured accumulation rather than euphoric buying. Instead of chasing the pump indiscriminately, they strategically added exposure to three specific tokens—Dogecoin (DOGE), Chainlink (LINK), and Uniswap (UNI)—while tracking key technical levels, signaling preparation for potential continuation moves.
Dogecoin (DOGE) saw renewed whale interest as its price reclaimed both the 20-day and 50-day exponential moving averages (EMAs), a technical setup last seen in early July 2025, which preceded a 73% rally. Whales holding between 10 million and 100 million DOGE increased their collective holdings by 160 million tokens (worth approximately $23.5 million) in 24 hours, bringing their total to 17.76 billion DOGE. Key resistance is seen at $0.154, with a break above potentially targeting $0.209.
Chainlink (LINK) experienced sustained whale inflows for a second consecutive day, with holdings rising by roughly 220,000 LINK (about $3.1 million). This accumulation coincides with LINK testing a critical resistance zone after a pullback that formed the handle of a potential cup-and-handle pattern. A separate report highlighted aggressive whale accumulation, with one entity withdrawing 342,557 LINK (worth $4.8 million) from Binance over two days, tightening exchange supply. LINK's price broke out of a multi-month descending channel, with the former resistance near $14 now acting as support. Derivatives data shows Open Interest rising 9.5% to $673.5 million and funding rates turning positive, indicating growing long-side conviction.
Uniswap (UNI) witnessed cautious whale accumulation as its price approached the 20-day EMA. Whales added 200,000 UNI (worth roughly $1.1 million) to their holdings. Historically, reclaiming this moving average has led to significant rallies for UNI, including a 76% move in November 2025. Key resistance levels above lie at $5.98 and $6.57.
