SHIB Whales Add Billions In February While Retail And Mid-tier Sell Off

• Large SHIB whales have accumulated 6.33 trillion tokens in 2025, despite price drops.
• Mid-tier SHIB holders reduced their positions by over 5 trillion tokens since December.
• SHIB’s top 10 wallets control 61.3% of total supply, raising market volatility concerns.

The price of Shiba Inu (SHIB) has seen a noticeable drop, falling to $0.00001526, reflecting a 3.87% decline over the past 24 hours. Over the last week, SHIB’s price has fallen by 18.38%.

While the token’s value continues to decrease, the behavior of large SHIB holders, or “whales,” suggests that some investors remain confident in the token’s future.

These large holders have increased their stakes during this period of price downturn, contributing to an interesting shift in the distribution of SHIB tokens.

Whale Accumulation Amidst Price Decline

Despite the ongoing price decline, large SHIB holders have continued to accumulate more tokens. Specifically, whales holding between 10 trillion and 100 trillion SHIB have collectively added 6.33 trillion tokens to their holdings this year, including 840 billion SHIB in February alone.

These holders now command a total of 161.49 trillion SHIB. This behavior contrasts with the trend observed in other holder categories, where mid-sized investors have been selling their SHIB tokens.

Notably, whales’ accumulation strategies often reflect confidence in long-term gains, particularly during price declines.

Even with SHIB’s price dropping, large holders have continued to increase their positions. This suggests that these whales may be positioning themselves for future price recovery, despite short-term market volatility.

Selling by Mid-Tier Investors

In contrast to the actions of large whales, mid-tier holders have been offloading their SHIB tokens. Investors holding between 100 billion and 1 trillion SHIB, as well as those with 1 trillion to 10 trillion SHIB, have reduced their holdings by a combined total of 5.21 trillion SHIB.

The shift in behavior among these mid-tier holders may point to a variety of factors, such as taking profits, cutting losses, or reallocating funds to other assets.

This selling trend among mid-sized investors has likely contributed to the downward pressure on SHIB’s price during the period from December 31, 2024, to February 6, 2025.

Interestingly, while mid-tier holders have been reducing their stakes, retail investors have shown a mixed response.

Retail holders with less than 1 million SHIB have slightly increased their positions, adding 4.34 billion tokens.

Meanwhile, smaller retail categories, such as those holding between 10 million and 1 billion SHIB, have seen minor reductions.

This mixed sentiment among retail investors highlights a cautious approach amidst price uncertainty.

Concentration of SHIB in Large Wallets

The concentration of SHIB tokens in the hands of a few large wallets has raised concerns about market volatility.

Blockchain analytics firm Santiment recently reported that the top 10 largest SHIB wallets control 61.3% of the total supply.

This concentration of supply could lead to price swings if these large holders decide to make significant transactions, either buying or selling large amounts of SHIB.

However, a deeper look into these wallets shows a more nuanced picture.

While Santiment’s analysis highlights the risks associated with such concentration, it fails to address the possibility that these large holders may continue to hold or accumulate SHIB, which could signal confidence in the token’s long-term prospects.

Additionally, when compared to other major cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum and Chainlink, SHIB’s top 10 wallet concentration is higher, but not drastically so.

Ethereum’s top 10 wallets hold 46.1% of its total supply, while Chainlink’s and Toncoin’s top 10 wallets hold 33.1% and 32.8%, respectively. This suggests that while SHIB’s concentration is notable, it is not entirely out of line with other major assets in the crypto market.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and provides no financial, investment, or other advice. The author or any people mentioned in this article are not responsible for any financial loss that may occur from investing in or trading. Please do your research before making any financial decisions.