Large Bitcoin Holders Increased by 11.2% Over the Past Year
Large Bitcoin wallets continue to grow even after the market’s major correction.
Summary:
- Wallets holding 100+ BTC increased by 11.2%.
- This group now controls 10.1% of the supply.
- Part of the growth comes from Bitcoin’s previous price surge.
The number of Bitcoin wallets holding at least 100 BTC has reached 20,229 according to data from Santiment, marking an increase of 2,038 wallets over the last 12 months and a growth of 11.2% compared to 18,191 wallets in May 2025.
At current prices around $77,000, the 100 BTC threshold requires approximately $7.7 million in capital. Wallets in this category hold at least 2,022,900 BTC, representing around 10.1% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply of approximately 20.03 million coins.
Santiment describes this as a gradual withdrawal of supply from the active market, and the logic behind this thesis is completely understandable. Wallets of this size rarely sell because of short-term price movements.
Why Behavior During the Decline Matters More Than the Growth Itself
Santiment’s chart covers the period between May 2025 and May 2026. The data clearly shows an acceleration in the number of large wallets toward the end of 2025 – a period that coincided with Bitcoin’s rise above $125,000.
However, this does not automatically mean that all of the growth came from new purchases. Part of the increase may be related to restructuring of already existing holdings, transfers of BTC between addresses, or asset reallocations.
The more important question is what happens after the peak.
After reaching levels above $125,000, Bitcoin returned to current values around $77,000. This represents a 38% correction from the cycle peak.
Despite this, the number of wallets holding over 100 BTC not only failed to decline, but continued to grow.
If the increase had been driven mainly by temporary internal transfers or short-term activity during the rally, it would be logical for some of these wallets to disappear or fall back below the 100 BTC threshold during such a significant correction.
The situation appears to signal genuine accumulation. The data suggests that some large holders continued adding Bitcoin during the correction, while others already held sufficiently large positions to remain comfortably above the 100 BTC level regardless of price movements.
The shape of the data clearly highlights this distinction. An annual growth rate of 11.2% sounds positive on its own. But growth that remains intact even after a 38% correction signals much stronger confidence and long-term accumulation.
Why the “Supply Floor” Matters
At least 2,022,900 BTC locked within this category of wallets can be viewed as a kind of supply “floor” – but only if the holders behave like long-term investors.
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However, there is another important detail here.
The category of wallets holding over 100 BTC includes not only individual investors, but also ETF custodians, corporate reserves, exchange addresses, and institutional wallets.
The behavior of these groups, however, is completely different.
For example, an ETF custodian holds Bitcoin on behalf of investors who can buy or sell shares relatively quickly. This means that not all BTC in this category is equally “locked” outside the market.
Even so, the overall trend remains positive. The number of large wallets continues to rise even after a serious correction, and the amount of capital required to enter or remain in this category is large enough to exclude much of the short-term behavior typical of retail investors.
Ultimately, only price action over the coming months will show whether the growth is driven by genuine long-term accumulation.
A continued increase in addresses holding more than 100 BTC while prices remain below the all-time high would be a good signal that large holders continue actively accumulating at current levels despite weaker market momentum.
An opposite scenario, where growth begins to slow or the number of wallets starts declining without another major price drop, would suggest that a significant portion of the increase over the past year likely came from restructuring of existing holdings and activity surrounding the previous price peak.
The behavior of this group during continued consolidation around current levels will be far more telling than the historical growth itself. If the number continues rising while prices remain below the peak, the signal for long-term accumulation will become significantly more convincing.
The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or trading advice. Coinspress.com does not promote or advocate for any particular investment strategy, asset, or cryptocurrency project. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and unpredictable – always perform your own research and seek guidance from a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coinspress and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
