Bitfinex Whales Bet Big on Bitcoin Despite $90K Price Struggles

Bitcoin enters the final week of 2025 facing a pivotal test at the $90,000 level, but institutional traders on Bitfinex are signaling strong confidence in the cryptocurrency's 2026 prospects. Despite Bitcoin's inability to solidify $90,000 as a support level, whale positions on the exchange have surged to their highest levels in nearly two years. This activity suggests that major players are positioning themselves for a bullish year ahead.

What We Know

Bitcoin has struggled to flip the psychologically significant $90,000 level into support as the final week of 2025 unfolds. This marks a setback for bullish investors hoping to consolidate gains above this critical price point.

According to reports from Cointelegraph and BITRSS, whale long positions on Bitfinex have reached their highest levels since early 2024. These large-scale traders, often seen as market movers, are taking substantial long positions on Bitcoin with an eye toward 2026. This indicates institutional confidence in the cryptocurrency's medium-term potential, even as it faces headwinds in the short term.

The timing of this whale activity is particularly noteworthy. As 2025 draws to a close, major market participants appear to be positioning their portfolios for the coming year, signaling a strategic focus on longer-term gains.

Key Details

The $90,000 level has emerged as a critical battleground for Bitcoin's price action. The cryptocurrency's inability to convert this price point into a solid support zone suggests ongoing selling pressure and profit-taking as the year concludes. Support levels are crucial for sustainable upward price movements, as they reflect zones where buying interest is strong enough to counteract downward momentum.

However, whale activity on Bitfinex provides a contrarian signal to this short-term weakness. Long positions from these large traders—who typically have access to sophisticated market analysis and the capital to weather volatility—often serve as key indicators of market sentiment among professional investors.

The near-two-year high in whale long positions suggests that major Bitfinex traders view current price levels as attractive entry points for longer-term holdings. Rather than interpreting Bitcoin's struggle at $90,000 as a bearish signal, these whales appear to be positioning for anticipated gains in 2026. This strategy reflects a willingness to look past near-term price fluctuations in favor of longer-term potential.

Why This Matters

The divergence between Bitcoin's short-term price action and the long-term positioning by sophisticated traders offers an important signal for the cryptocurrency market. While retail investors may be discouraged by Bitcoin's failure to maintain momentum above $90,000, institutional players seem to be using this consolidation period as an accumulation opportunity.

Whale behavior on exchanges like Bitfinex often precedes significant market moves. These traders typically have longer time horizons and access to deeper resources for analyzing macroeconomic trends, regulatory developments, and market dynamics. Their willingness to establish substantial long positions, despite current price struggles, suggests confidence in fundamental factors that may not yet be fully reflected in spot prices.

For the broader cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin's ability to eventually establish $90,000 as support—or its failure to do so—will likely set the tone for altcoin performance and overall market sentiment heading into 2026. The whale positioning indicates that major players anticipate an eventual breakout, though the timing remains uncertain as 2025 comes to a close.

---

Key entities: Bitcoin, BTC, Bitfinex, Whales
Sentiment: Bullish