Bitcoin price is facing renewed selling pressure following its recent rally toward $81,500, with smaller holders reducing exposure while larger Bitcoin wallets continue accumulating. The divergence comes at a sensitive moment for the market, as traders weigh whether the recent strength signals a durable recovery or a temporary bounce within a broader corrective phase.

At the latest reading, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around $77,671, with a 24-hour trading volume of roughly $77.15 billion and a market capitalization of about $1.56 trillion. BTC dominance stood near 59.62%, with the asset down approximately 2.06% over the last 24 hours.

Bitcoin Price Rises as Whales Continue Accumulating

The most recent on-chain data reveals a notable divergence between retail and whale Bitcoin investors. According to a recent post by crypto analyst Ali Charts (https://x.com/alicharts/status/2093460837445120170), Bitcoin price rose about 31% from $62,229 on August 1 to $81,500 over its latest rally.

However, wallets containing between 0.1 and 1 BTC registered an Accumulation Trend Score of -0.982, suggesting significant distribution activity among these investors. The Accumulation Trend Score is a Glassnode-derived metric that reflects the relative size of addresses that are accumulating or distributing; values near -1 indicate broad selling behavior among a holder cohort, while values near +1 indicate broad accumulation. On the other hand, wallets holding at least 100 BTC were reported to be accumulating.

This difference is noteworthy because it indicates that Bitcoin's latest rally is not being driven equally across all holder cohorts. Such retail-versus-whale divergence is often watched by analysts as a measure of how conviction is distributed across the market: smaller holders selling into strength while larger wallets absorb supply changes the composition of who holds BTC, even when aggregate price action looks similar.

Whale Bitcoin holders have demonstrated such behavior amid market weakness before. Analysis showed that wallets containing more than 10,000 BTC increased their holdings by 46,420 BTC over 60 days.

Bitcoin Eyes Recovery Toward $78,000

Another factor supporting Bitcoin's latest rally has been strong institutional demand for the digital currency. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted roughly $2.5 billion over seven trading sessions up until August 27, the strongest period for inflows since October, according to Dow Jones Market Data. These ETFs, approved by U.S. regulators in January 2024, have become one of the main channels through which institutional investors gain Bitcoin exposure, making their flow data a widely followed gauge of demand.

However, the short-term technical picture has weakened. According to the cited 30-minute chart setup (), Bitcoin recently slipped below the $76,449 range support.

A continued move below that level could expose BTC to $74,000 first, followed by the $70,000-$71,200 order-block area. This would represent a deeper pullback from the recent $81,500 high rather than necessarily ending the broader recovery.

The key level for bulls is now $77,184. A 30-minute close above this threshold could help Bitcoin price reclaim the broken range and reopen a move toward $78,000 and potentially higher levels.

Bitcoin previously pushed above $80,000 on August 25, reaching approximately $81,238 before retreating, showing that the $80,000-$82,000 region remains an important resistance area.

If Bitcoin holds above $74,000 and eventually recovers $77,184, buyers could regain control. A sustained break below support could send BTC toward the $70,000-$71,200 zone before another attempt at recovery. Beyond price levels, observers are likely to watch whether ETF inflows persist and whether the retail distribution trend reverses, as both would shape the supply-demand backdrop heading into the next attempted move higher.

This article contains market analysis and price predictions. These are not guarantees. Crypto markets are volatile. Always DYOR. Not financial advice.