Crypto: New Bitcoin Whales May Send BTC Price To $85k: ’s Why 2026

Analysts say Bitcoin’s volatile price action reflects an increasing risk of distribution as new BTC whales control the price action. Is a drop to $85,000 in play for the short term?

Bitcoin (BTC) has struggled to regain momentum after the price dipped below $90,000 on Tuesday, with multiple analysts pointing to continued selling pressure in the short term.

New BTC whales with a holding period of less than 155 days now control more realized capital than the “OG” long-term holders.

Whale-dominated exchange inflows signal elevated sell-side pressure for Bitcoin near $95,000 to $90,000.

Market analysts suggest a pullback toward the $85,000 level based on bearish order book data.

CryptoQuant analyst MorenoDV said that new whales, i.e., holders of over 1,000 BTC with unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs) younger than 155 days, now account for a larger share of Bitcoin’s realized cap than long-term holders.

Realized cap reflects the aggregate cost basis of coins based on their last onchain movement, indicating that a significant portion of the supply has changed hands at higher prices.

The realized price of this cohort sits near $98,000. With BTC trading below that level, new whales currently hold $6 billion in unrealized losses.

Long-term holders, with a realized price near $40,000, remain largely inactive, meaning near-term price action is being driven by capital under pressure rather than conviction.

Related: Bitcoin trader keeps $100K BTC target as gold price hits record $4,750

Source: CoinTelegraph