On-chain analytics firm Santiment has reported a dramatic surge in whale activity for several major cryptocurrencies, led by Cronos (CRO), Bitget Token (BGB), and Wrapped Ethereum (WETH). The data, current as of January 22, 2026, shows week-over-week growth in large transactions exceeding $100,000 of 1,111% for CRO, 800% for BGB, and 711% for WETH.
Santiment analysts interpret this spike as a strong signal that large holders are repositioning within specific ecosystems. "This is a strong sign that whales are repositioning inside ecosystems. Both CRO and BGB whale spikes often precede trading volume jumps, and means both platforms are very likely getting much higher usage than usual," stated the analytics platform. The activity is linked to ecosystem repositioning on platforms like Crypto.com and Bitget.
The market reaction has been mixed. While Cronos whales were active despite a drop in its price and volume, Bitget Token saw concurrent price gains and rising volume. Historical patterns suggest such accumulation by whales often precedes price rallies, potentially forecasting significant trading volume and price movements in the coming weeks.
Beyond the top three, the report highlighted substantial whale transaction growth for other assets, including a 527.94% increase for USD Coin (USDC) on Optimism, a 500% rise for LayerZero (ZRO) on Arbitrum, and a 433.33% jump for Dai (DAI) on BNB Chain. These movements across multiple blockchains and tokens indicate a broader trend of capital repositioning that could reshape market dynamics.
