Bitcoin Faces Double Trouble: Whale Slowdown and Futures Selloffs Threaten Drop to $105,000

Leading digital asset Bitcoin is under heavy pressure this week as key market players retreat from both derivatives and spot accumulation, raising the risk of a slide toward $105,000.

On-chain data shows that key holders have slashed their exposure in perpetual futures by double digits over the past seven days. At the same time, a group of large Bitcoin holders has slowed their accumulation pace, adding to the bearish pressure weighing on price momentum.

Top Traders Slash Futures Exposure, Whales Retreat

BTC’s steady dip in the past week has triggered a steep reduction in perpetual futures positioning among key holders, highlighting waning confidence in the coin’s near-term outlook. 

According to Nansen, crypto’s top 100 wallet addresses have cut their perpetual futures exposure by 1,526 contracts in the past seven days, a 65.7% decline. 

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BTC Large Holder Activity. Source: Nansen

When these large holders scale back their positions, it removes liquidity from BTC’s perpetual futures market, leaving it more vulnerable to volatility and sharper downside moves. 

The drawdown also suggests that these major traders are unwilling to absorb risk until clearer bullish signals emerge, worsening the bearish momentum. 

Moreover, in addition to these top wallets, BTC whales holding between 10,000 and 100,000 coins have also contributed to the current downturn.

Per Santiment, this cohort of coin holders has reduced their supply by 1% in the past seven days, selling 20,000 BTC. 

BTC Supply Distribution. Source: Santiment

Historically, sustained whale buying has provided support for BTC during downturns. With these large holders now stepping back, the asset lacks the strong buy-side pressure needed to prevent further declines.

Could Price Slip Toward $103,000?

On the daily chart, BTC’s falling Relative Strength Index (RSI) supports this bearish outlook. This key momentum indicator stands at 37.88 at press time and is in a downtrend, signalling falling demand.

The RSI indicator measures an asset’s oversold and overbought market conditions. It ranges between 0 and 100, with values above 70 indicating that the asset is overbought and may witness a correction. Conversely, values below 30 indicate that it is oversold and due for a rebound.

At 37.88 and falling, BTC’s RSI signals that the cryptocurrency is gradually entering oversold territory. This indicates that bearish momentum may continue and could push the coin’s price toward $107,557. 

BTC could extend its dip to $103,931 if this support floor fails to hold.

BTC Price Analysis. Source: TradingView

On the other hand, if sentiment improves and accumulation spikes, BTC could witness a rebound and attempt to climb back above $110,034.