As January 2026 concludes with a volatile sell-off, on-chain data reveals crypto whales are selectively accumulating several assets showing early signs of potential rebounds in February. The activity highlights a divergence between short-term retail pessimism and longer-term institutional and large-holder positioning.
Chainlink (LINK) presents a conflicted picture. While social sentiment has turned sharply negative, making it one of the most criticized large-cap altcoins, spot ETF demand remains robust. Grayscale and Bitwise's LINK ETFs have recorded net inflows every single week since launch, with recent weekly additions between $2.26 million and $4.05 million, pushing cumulative inflows above $73 million. This contrasts with whale behavior, which has seen holdings drop from 502.53 million LINK to 501.97 million LINK since January 28. Price action is bearish, with LINK down 7.2% over the past month and having lost key support near $11.12. A failure to reclaim this level opens downside risk toward $9.10.
Shiba Inu (SHIB) is showing surprising strength, up 3.3% over the past 30 days. Whales have increased holdings from 666.05 trillion to 666.74 trillion SHIB since January 27, adding 690 billion SHIB. This accumulation aligns with a bullish divergence signal; between November 4 and January 25, SHIB's price made a lower low while its Relative Strength Index (RSI) formed a higher low, suggesting weakening selling pressure. The token is trading within a falling wedge pattern, with a confirmed breakout above $0.0000071 needed to strengthen momentum.
Pendle (PENDLE) whales have accumulated roughly $6.3 million worth of tokens despite recent price weakness, increasing holdings from 181.54 million to 184.81 million PENDLE since January 27. The token is down 5.2% over the past month, but a 12-hour chart shows a bullish divergence pattern similar to SHIB's, formed between November 14 and January 30. The setup remains valid if the price holds above $1.78.
Cardano (ADA) has seen coordinated whale accumulation across two major holder groups in a 48-hour period starting January 28. Wallets holding 1 billion ADA or more increased holdings from 2.93 billion to 3.18 billion ADA, while the 100 million to 1 billion ADA cohort grew from 2.55 billion to 2.60 billion ADA. This buying occurs as ADA is down 7.2% monthly. A bullish divergence is in play, with price forming a lower low since December 31 while RSI formed a higher low. Confirmation requires holding above $0.31.
Other tokens highlighted for February include Keeta (KTA), a top-performing RWA token up 55% over 30 days despite a recent 10% pullback, showing a split between standard and mega whale behavior. Maple Finance (SYRUP) has shown resilience, up 11.5% over 30 days, with whales steadily accumulating despite trading in a symmetrical triangle since early November.
