Cardano whale exodus: is this the end of the party?

Although the larger part of the cryptocurrency market has turned green, Cardano (ADA) very much included, whales taking their profits en masse could signal that this could be it for Cardano in terms of further price increases.

Indeed, Cardano may be facing renewed pressure as the market’s largest holders have started unloading significant amounts of their tokens, selling more than 140 million ADA in just the past two weeks, according to the data shared by market analyst Ali Martinez in an X post on September 11.

Whales cashing out

As it happens, that figure currently translates into tens of millions of dollars in value being offloaded by influential investors, and such selling activity often signals a shift in market sentiment, as whales have traditionally played a pivotal role in shaping short- and medium-term price trends.

Historically, when whales begin booking profits after a sustained run-up, it often leads to increased volatility and, in some cases, local tops. Retail traders may find themselves squeezed if liquidity dries up or if whale exits spark panic selling. The chart shows a notable decline in whale holdings even as ADA’s price pushed higher toward the $0.90 mark.

Not all doom and gloom

Despite the large-scale selling, ADA has managed to hold above key support levels, with the token trading around $0.8843 at the time of writing, indicating an increase of 1.11% in the last 24 hours, a 7.49% advance across the previous seven days, and an accumulated gain of 14.23% on its monthly chart.

This resilience suggests that smaller investors and institutional interest may still be providing buying pressure to absorb the whale supply. Moreover, Cardano continues to develop its ecosystem, with upgrades and partnerships aimed at expanding its decentralized application (dApp) footprint.

All things considered, the ‘whale exodus’ might simply be profit-taking after a strong run, but it could also be the first sign that Cardano’s latest party is winding down. As always in crypto, the next few weeks will tell whether this is a temporary setback or the start of a deeper retracement.