When a metaverse token and a DeFi yield protocol suddenly top the whale activity charts, something is shifting in the order books. According to the on-chain update from Santiment, Decentraland’s $MANA saw a 833% weekly increase in the number of whale transactions over $100,000. Pendle on Arbitrum wasn’t far behind at 800%, followed by a mix of stablecoins and smaller-cap tokens.
The data highlights a sudden repositioning by larger wallets across a set of assets that don’t usually dominate whale activity rankings. USAT jumped 400%, MakerDAO’s DAI on Optimism also rose 400%, Telcoin climbed 350%, and Virtuals Protocol’s VIRTUAL recorded a 300% increase. Even stablecoin transfer counts spiked—MakerDAO’s USDS, for example, moved 154% higher in large transaction count. The screener, which tracks divergences in on-chain metrics, underscores how rapid shifts in whale behavior can signal underlying market structure changes before price reflects them.
Such increases in whale transfers often hint that large holders are preparing for something—whether that’s deploying capital into DeFi protocols, moving funds between chains, or repositioning ahead of ecosystem developments. The presence of stablecoin pairs also suggests possible liquidity provision or off-ramping. Pairing that with the fact that some of these tokens, like $MANA, are tied to metaverse NFTs, adds another layer. Recently, $X@AI BRC-20 NFTs and Courtyard topped weekly $NFT sales rankings, reflecting a broader resurgence of interest in digital collectibles. Whale accumulation in related tokens may follow that trend.
However, investors should be careful about drawing straight lines between on-chain whale activity and imminent price moves. A spike in large transactions can just as easily reflect distribution as accumulation. The data from Santiment only shows an increase in transaction count—not whether wallets are buying or selling. Without additional on-chain metrics like exchange netflow or realized profit/loss, the picture remains incomplete. Whales may be moving tokens to centralized exchanges for sale, or to cold storage for long-term holding.
What This Means for Altcoin Traders
Whale transaction spikes on low-volume altcoins like Telcoin or Virtuals can have outsized effects on liquidity and short-term volatility. While a recent top crypto gainers roundup featured TON and SIREN making big moves, none of the tokens on Santiment’s whale list appeared there. That divergence is worth noting—it suggests the whale action may not yet be reflected in market price, or it could indicate positioning for a move that hasn’t materialized. Monitoring whether these transaction counts hold or increase further could offer a pre-price signal for savvy market participants.
For traders, the data adds a signal to monitor alongside order book depth and funding rates. Tokens like Pendle and Ether.fi, which are central to liquid staking and yield markets, could see renewed interest if whale accumulation continues. But for now, the surge in transaction counts tells us that size is paying attention—just not yet in which direction.