Wale activities for the New Year: These cryptocurrencies are on the agenda

While regular traders are still celebrating the New Year, the crypto whales are already in action. The 2025/2026 year-end reveals an interesting pattern: large capital providers pursue different strategies. Some accumulate, others distribute. The value of their transactions shows which coins are in focus for major investors and where the next millions of dollars might flow.

LINK between Hope and Resistance: Accumulation with a Historical Advantage

Whales begin their annual strategy with optimism for Chainlink. Between the last day of December and January 1st, their holdings increased by about 360,000 LINK – a value of approximately 4.46 million USD. This accumulation is deliberate, as history favors the whales.

LINK shows an impressive January record: in 2025, the token increased by 25.3 percent, in 2023 by 24.9 percent, and in 2021 even by 100.7 percent. On average, this means: January is roughly 26.4 percent bullish for Chainlink.

The current price position at $13.21 (As of: January 9) still leaves room for growth. The next resistance is at $12.49 – a minor hurdle of about 2.5 percent. If this is overcome, the path opens to $13.36 and further to $13.76, a level that has been consistently functioning as resistance since December 12. A breakout above $15 could trigger a move up to $16.77.

But the risks are also clear: if LINK falls below $11.71, the January optimism of the whales could turn into a misjudgment rather than a signal.

ENA in a Selloff: Whales Send Clear Warning Signs

While whales are buying LINK, they are selling Ethena. Between December 31 and January 1, major investors reduced their holdings by 20 million ENA – a value of about 4.20 million USD. These sales are no coincidence.

Fundamental data support the whale strategy: Ethena’s TVL (Total Value Locked) has fallen from $14.98 billion (October 3) to just $6.48 billion USD – a decline of over 56 percent. More than half of the capital has left the protocol. This indicates declining user numbers, reduced lending, or lack of trust.

The chart confirms this skepticism with a classic head-and-shoulders pattern. The descending neckline shows sellers creating lower lows. At ENA ($0.23 currently), the critical level is at $0.15 – a break here would trigger another 25 percent loss and push the price toward $0.10.

For a revival, ENA would need to rise above $0.21; only above $0.30 could the sentiment turn bullish.

PENDLE: The Most Speculative Scenario Between Hope and Trap

The most interesting picture is with Pendle. Whales are buying here despite the high risks. Holdings increased by about 770,000 PENDLE (Value: ~1.42 million USD), while PENDLE has risen 7.7 percent in the last seven days – currently at $2.06.

But here lies the tension: PENDLE is in a bear flag, after the token fell 42 percent since November. The whales are buying despite these warning signals. The reason: The Smart Money Index has just crossed its signal line, meaning experienced traders are also accumulating.

Technical scenarios are polarized. If PENDLE falls below $1.81, a test of the $1.65 level is imminent. A break below that would invalidate the entire flag and could trigger massive sell-offs. Conversely: if PENDLE rises above $1.94 and holds there, the $2.31 level could follow – this would invalidate the bearish pattern and mark the start of a new uptrend.

The message from the whales for the year-end is clear: LINK benefits from seasonal patterns, ENA suffers from fundamental cracks, and PENDLE is the highest risk game for experienced traders. Tracking these value shifts allows early insight into where the big money is flowing – and where it is fleeing.