Bitcoin Approaches $100K as Whale Accumulation and Derivatives Momentum Suggest Potential for Breakout

Whale accumulation and derivatives momentum fuel optimism as Bitcoin tests the $100K ceiling.

• Realized Cap hits $890B as whale accumulation spikes 949% in one week.

• Bitcoin nears $100K but weak on-chain usage tempers bullish breakout hopes.

Bitcoin’s [BTC] Realized Cap has surged to a new all-time high of $890.74 billion, marking the third consecutive weekly record.

This metric, which represents the aggregate value of coins based on their last movement, indicates persistent capital inflows and growing investor conviction.

At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $99,755, up 2.91% in the last 24 hours.

This trend reflected strong belief in BTC’s long-term potential, as both long-term and short-term holders accumulated during market uncertainty, suggesting a structural shift in sentiment.

Source: CryptoQuant

Bitcoin whales resurface

Over the past seven days, BTC’s large holder netflow has surged by a staggering 949.67%, despite a steep 90.99% drop in the 30-day trend.

This short-term spike in accumulation highlighted renewed interest from whales, indicating aggressive positioning ahead of a potential breakout.

Moreover, the netflow-to-exchange ratio suggested that capital was moving away from exchanges, reinforcing the narrative of long-term holding rather than imminent sell-offs.

Source: IntoTheBlock

Derivatives data signals bold market bets

BTC’s derivatives market activity was gaining momentum. Futures volume has climbed 8.01% to $104.94 billion, while Open Interest rose 7.58% to $68.87 billion.

Options markets also show bullish behavior, with volume and Open Interest growing by 18.14% and 3.58% respectively. These increases suggest that traders are building leveraged positions in anticipation of volatility.

When coupled with rising spot demand, this reinforces the possibility of a significant directional move. Market participants appear to be positioning ahead of a breakout from the current resistance zone.

Source: CoinGlass

Despite the bullish derivative data, on-chain valuation metrics are showing signs of divergence. The NVT ratio has declined by 2.81% to 26.91, signaling that price is outpacing transaction volume.

The NVM ratio dropped sharply by 44.49%, indicating reduced network utility relative to market cap. Additionally, the Stock-to-Flow ratio has fallen 14.28%, implying a weakening scarcity signal post-halving.

These shifts suggest that while capital inflows are rising, underlying network activity needs to catch up to sustain long-term price appreciation.

Tension at $100K

At press time, BTC was trading near a key psychological and technical barrier at $100,000. The Bollinger Bands indicated rising volatility, while the Stochastic RSI entered overbought territory, sitting above 70.

If bulls manage to breach the $101,175 resistance, momentum could accelerate sharply. However, any failure to clear this level might result in a temporary pullback, especially given mixed on-chain fundamentals.

The next few daily closes will be crucial in determining whether the trend continues upward or consolidates further.

Source: TradingView

Conclusion

Given the surge in BTC’s Realized Cap to $890.74 billion and a 949% spike in whale inflows, the market clearly leans bullish. Derivative activity also shows rising speculative interest, reinforcing momentum.

However, conflicting on-chain valuation metrics and a historically tough $100K resistance suggest that a clean breakout is not guaranteed without stronger network fundamentals.

Still, if current accumulation and leveraged optimism persist, BTC has a high probability of breaking $100K in the near term.