Key Insights
- Large Ethereum holders increased balances to record levels in late 2025, even as price volatility remained muted.
- Retail investors continued reducing ETH exposure, pushing holdings toward multi-year lows amid prolonged market consolidation.
- Ethereum price action stayed range-bound near key technical levels despite ongoing ownership shifts toward institutional players.
Ethereum market activity continues to draw attention as ownership trends shift and price action remains range-bound. Recent on-chain data and corporate disclosures point to growing whale accumulation, reduced retail exposure, and steady consolidation near key technical levels.
Whale Accumulation Signals Long-Term Positioning
Data shared by Crypto Rover on X references a CryptoQuant chart tracking Ethereum holdings since 2016. The chart shows large investor wallets rising from about nine million ETH in 2016 to nearly fifteen and a half million ETH during 2021.
After a pullback toward thirteen and a half million ETH in early 2025, whale holdings surged sharply. By late 2025, large investors controlled nearly twenty-two million ETH, marking a new historical high. This accumulation occurred while Ethereum traded within a narrow price range.
The trend suggests sustained interest from capital-heavy participants during periods of reduced volatility. Within the Ethereum price prediction narrative, whale behavior often reflects longer holding horizons rather than short-term trading strategies.
Smart money is accumulating $ETH.
Retail is selling $ETH.
Do whatever you want with this information… pic.twitter.com/cCfm8YBZ6S
— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) December 29, 2025
Retail Holdings Continue to Decline
Retail Ethereum holdings followed a different path over the same period. Between 2018 and 2020, smaller investors held roughly twenty-one to twenty-two million ETH. That figure began falling during the 2021 market cycle.
By 2024, retail holdings slipped below twelve million ETH, according to the same dataset. Projections extending into 2026 place retail balances near eight point three million ETH, representing multi-year lows.
This steady reduction indicates ongoing distribution by smaller holders. In the context of Ethereum price prediction discussions, declining retail participation often coincides with market fatigue and lower speculative interest.
Ethereum Price Structure Remains Defined
Ethereum’s price action has remained contained despite ownership shifts. Historical data shows the asset peaked near $1,400 in 2018 and later reached an all-time high near $4,800 in 2021.
Following the 2022 downturn, Ethereum rebounded into a wide consolidation zone. Throughout 2024 and 2025, prices largely oscillated between $2,400 and $3,600. At the time referenced, ETH traded near $2,900.
On the four-hour Bitstamp chart dated December 29, 2025, Ethereum respected a rising trendline formed earlier in December. Resistance remains concentrated between $2,960 and $3,100, shaping near-term Ethereum price prediction expectations.
source: TradingView
BitMine Expands Corporate Ethereum Exposure
Corporate accumulation added another layer to market activity. ForesightNews reported that BitMine increased its Ethereum holdings by forty-four thousand four hundred sixty-three ETH during the prior week, spending about one hundred thirty million dollars.
As of December 28, 2025, BitMine held more than four point one one million ETH. The firm’s disclosed assets included limited Bitcoin exposure, equity stakes, and one billion dollars in unsecured cash.
This purchase aligned with broader whale accumulation trends noted on-chain. For Ethereum price prediction observers, such disclosures reinforce the view that institutional players continue building positions during consolidation phases.
Final Thoughts
Ethereum continues trading within a defined range as ownership shifts toward large investors and corporations. Retail exposure keeps falling, while whale and treasury accumulation persist near current prices. These developments shape ongoing Ethereum price prediction discussions, especially as technical support remains intact and broader market conditions remain uncertain.
