There is usually a reduction in positions across cryptocurrencies at the end of the year. Big wallets and smart money often reduce exposure to profits, keep cash on hand, and wait for illiquid conditions to end. That’s normal in December. Despite this background, some assets hold the opposite view. Crypto whales have been on the rise again over multiple time frames.
One shows a steady 30-day accumulation, another has 7-day whale support, and the third just saw 24 hours of new inflows.
chain link (link)
The first token on the list that crypto whales are buying is Chainlink. Whale Wallet has increased its holdings by 57.79% in the past 30 days. This means that the whale added approximately 680,000 LINKs during that period.
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At current LINK prices, the cumulative total is nearly $8.5 million.
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This accumulation comes while Chainlink has corrected around 7.5% over the same period. Smart money wallet reduced exposure by 5.2%. This suggests that the whales are positioning themselves early rather than expecting to make immediate moves.
On the chart, the Bull Bear Power (BBP) indicator shows that the red bar has contracted since December 24th. BBP measures the distance between the price and the moving average, highlighting whether bulls or bears are in control of the momentum. As the red bar shrinks, the bearish pressure weakens.
At the same time, LINK is attempting to regain a major short-term barrier near $12.50. If the daily close price rises above that level, the token will be placed back into the short-term breakout conversation. Above $12.50, the more important levels are around $12.98 and $13.75, and above $15.00, LINK returns to a clear bullish zone.
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The smart money ends while the whales continue to add hints of slow setups. This structure suggests that the whale is accumulating weakness for a potential move in early 2026, rather than an immediate breakout. LINK is likely to remain range-bound until $12.50 is recovered. Also, a decline below $11.72 could invalidate the bullish whale theory for now.
Lido DAO (LDO)
For the past seven days, crypto whales have also set their sights on Lido. Their balance increased by 30.34%, bringing the group’s hidden assets to 17.49 million LDO. At current prices, the whale added about 4.07 million LDO. This equates to approximately $2.28 million per week.
This comes amid a 4.2% rise in the token over the same period, suggesting whales are buying on strength.
Not all major buyers are anonymous. One of the most notable additions came from Arthur Hayes, who accumulated 1.85 million LDO worth approximately $1.03 million. It also explains why the “public figure” population is rising alongside whale activity.
However, the smart money has a different stance. Their balance has decreased by 7.75%. Exchange balances also decreased by 1.49%, suggesting that retailers may be withdrawing tokens from exchanges rather than selling them. This disconnect means that the whale theory may take some time to materialize, potentially extending into early 2026 rather than immediately.
On the chart, Lido is trading within a clear range of $0.59 to $0.49. The on-balance volume (OBV) indicator, which measures volume inflows or outflows, broke its downtrend on December 23rd.
The sign is noteworthy because it occurred at the same time as the influx of whales increased.
The daily close needs to be above $0.59 to confirm strength. This level was breached on December 14th and has not recovered since. If buyers clear it with confidence, the next zones to watch are $0.76 (0.618 Fibonacci) and then $0.92, where momentum could turn bullish from a correction.
Until then, range trading remains the base case. A $0.49 loss would invalidate the current LDO pricing, especially if the smart money continues to reduce exposure during the year-end volatility period.
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ASTER
The third token on the list is Aster. This shows the whales’ interest in a 24-hour time frame, rather than a long-term accumulation trend. In the past day, Whale added 2.37% to its existing assets.
As a result of this increase, the whale’s holdings now stand at approximately 19.23 million ASTER. At a price of approximately $0.71, the whale has added approximately 455,000 ASTER, which equates to just over $320,000.
The additions are not large-scale. This is notable as ASTER has fallen over 30% over the past month, and this rise could signal that sentiment is gradually shifting from a strong sell to a more cautious position.
Price trends support this view. ASTER has fallen sharply from around $1.40 on November 19th to support around $0.65, which remains on the downside until December. Selling pressure also appears to be weakening now. In the Wyckoff Volume Indicator, the red and yellow bars (seller control) have been fading since December 15th. The recent transition to bright red/yellow bars indicates that sellers are losing their advantage.
If the whales are right, the recovery attempt will begin with a push to $0.83, which would require an increase of around 16% from current prices. Above $0.83, there is room for the price to move towards $1.03 and even $1.24 if market conditions improve.
If the price falls by $0.65, the theory breaks down. A full break below this level could put ASTER at risk of new regional lows amid heightened year-end volatility.
