Bitcoin whales are depositing less to Binance in early 2026, just 15,800 BTC versus December's 37,133 BTC, leaving flows at 42.5% of last month. Daily whale transfers are under 2,200 BTC, while Bitcoin trades near $95,020 alongside strong U.S. spot ETF inflows above $750 million.

On January 18, 2026, Lookonchain reported that a long-standing Bitcoin holder sold 500 BTC worth $47.77 million, part of a 5,000 BTC stash held for over a decade. The seller has been trimming since December 2024 at six-figure prices, and on-chain metrics show older holders have cooled while institutions absorb supply.

Vanguard Group, overseeing about $12 trillion in assets, disclosed via routine filings a new position of roughly $505 million in shares of Strategy. The move offers indirect Bitcoin exposure through a public equity and marks Vanguard's first known allocation to a Bitcoin treasury company as of January 18, 2026.

On January 18, Bitcoin was trading near $95,056 after slipping 0.48% in 24 hours but remaining up 4.51% over the week. If the price loses support around $94,249 and the daily bar closes near local support, technicians expect possible moves into the $94,500 and $92,000–$94,000 zones. Market focus is on how the weekly candle behaves around the $95,938 level, which could determine whether sellers gain more control.

A derivatives analytics report from Bybit and Block Scholes links a shift in market sentiment to bitcoin's move into the upper $90,000 band, with open interest across nine major coins surpassing $8 billion. Bybit's Risk-Appetite Index edged higher as traders opened more perpetual positions, while altcoin spot ETFs in ether, Solana, and XRP registered several consecutive days of inflows.

Bitcoin rebounded to about $97k after sliding from $126k to near $80k, easing pressure on short‑term holders as unrealized losses fell to roughly $65 billion. STH average drawdowns improved to 6.4% and Sell‑Side Risk printed 0.000875, while price stabilized around $95k with the 100‑day EMA near $95,942.

On 18 January 2026, Michael Saylor shared fresh data indicating that Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, holds about 687,000 BTC valued near $65.3 billion. The figures show an average entry price around $75,000 per Bitcoin, leaving the firm with sizeable unrealized gains as the asset trades close to $95,000.

On January 14, Bitcoin briefly climbed above $97,000, its highest level since November, prompting renewed debate over whether its long-observed four-year pattern is changing. Analyst Egrag Crypto assigns a 55%–65% probability that 2026 will close green if BTC can secure monthly closes above $105,000 while holding support near $90,000. Other chart watchers highlight this deviation from past cycles as BTC dominance rises and short-term holders take profits into strength.