Bitget App
Trade smarter
Buy cryptoMarketsTradeFuturesEarnWeb3SquareMore
Trade
Spot
Buy and sell crypto with ease
Margin
Amplify your capital and maximize fund efficiency
Onchain
Going Onchain, without going Onchain!
Convert
Zero fees, no slippage
Explore
Launchhub
Gain the edge early and start winning
Copy
Copy elite trader with one click
Bots
Simple, fast, and reliable AI trading bot
Trade
USDT-M Futures
Futures settled in USDT
USDC-M Futures
Futures settled in USDC
Coin-M Futures
Futures settled in cryptocurrencies
Explore
Futures guide
A beginner-to-advanced journey in futures trading
Futures promotions
Generous rewards await
Overview
A variety of products to grow your assets
Simple Earn
Deposit and withdraw anytime to earn flexible returns with zero risk
On-chain Earn
Earn profits daily without risking principal
Structured Earn
Robust financial innovation to navigate market swings
VIP and Wealth Management
Premium services for smart wealth management
Loans
Flexible borrowing with high fund security

Whale

share

In the world of cryptocurrencies, whales are individuals or entities who possess a significant amount of digital currencies and have the ability to strongly influence market prices. They are contrasted with smaller cryptocurrency holders known as fishes or minnows, who have relatively insignificant amounts of cryptocurrency.

While there is no distinct threshold to categorize a whale, many consider a Bitcoin whale to be someone who possesses at least 1,000 BTC. According to the Pareto Principle, it is estimated that the top 20% of Bitcoin owners control over 80% of the currency's value. Generally, the identities of Bitcoin whales are kept anonymous.

Some of the most prominent Bitcoin whales include Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, and Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, the co-founders of the Gemini exchange. Institutional whales such as Tesla and Microstrategy also hold substantial amounts of Bitcoin, placing them among the industry's largest holders.

Although whales are commonly seen as affluent individuals, the term also encompasses organizations with significant cryptocurrency holdings, capable of impacting the market's upward or downward movements.

Bitcoin whales are known for establishing speculative patterns that smaller holders tend to follow, leading to a cyclical trend where BTC behavior deviates from the broader cryptocurrency market determinants.

Notably, Australian businessman Craig Wright faced legal action in 2019 over claims of owning more than 1.1 million BTC. Wright was previously touted as the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. Large transfers of BTC, particularly from dormant cryptocurrency wallets, often spark speculation about the continued involvement of Satoshi Nakamoto in the cryptocurrency space.

Download app
Download app