Cardano has recorded its strongest whale activity since early June, with the network logging 413 transactions worth at least $100,000 in a single day, according to on-chain analytics firm Santiment. The surge in large transfers coincided with a 42% rise in ADA's market capitalization since Sept. 16.

Santiment Intelligence also reported that ADA's social dominance reached 1.16%, its highest level of 2026, as the token's price climbed from roughly $0.19 to $0.27 before pulling back. The rebound followed several Cardano ecosystem developments, including the mainnet launch of RealFi, a decentralized lending protocol, on Oct. 1 and growing anticipation around Leios — Cardano's proposed scaling upgrade — along with Fireblocks support and new institutional integrations.

Whale Activity Hits Highest Level Since June

According to Santiment Intelligence, large ADA transactions surged to 413 in one day — the most since June 4. The firm highlighted the milestone in a post on X. Transactions of that size are typically attributed to whales, large holders whose on-chain activity is often monitored for signs of significant capital movement. For analysts, whale-transfer counts offer one of the few public windows into how major holders behave, since activity at that scale stands apart from routine retail-sized transactions.

At the same time, Cardano's social dominance climbed to 1.16%, which Santiment described as ADA's highest social dominance reading of 2026. The metric measures an asset's share of cryptocurrency discussions across major social platforms — meaning ADA accounted for more than one in every hundred such discussions tracked. ADA's move from approximately $0.19 to $0.27 returned the asset to broader market conversations, and Santiment noted that the ecosystem developments — alongside the price recovery — accompanied the largest Cardano discussion spike of the year.

ADA Tests $0.254 After September Rally

ADA is currently trading near $0.252, slightly below its 50-day moving average at $0.254, while remaining above the 200-day moving average at $0.233. Santiment's chart data tracks the asset's recovery from levels recorded earlier this year. The 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which smooth price over roughly two and a half and ten months of trading respectively, are among the most widely followed gauges of medium- and long-term trend direction.

From late June, ADA formed a base between $0.139 and $0.158. Price then established higher highs and higher lows through August and September, pushing the token above $0.196, then $0.215, and later $0.233. The rally eventually carried ADA to roughly $0.27–$0.28 before it pulled back toward $0.252.

The 50-day moving average at $0.254 now marks immediate resistance. A sustained move above that level would place the $0.27–$0.28 zone back in focus.

$0.233 Remains Key Structural Support

The $0.233 level currently aligns with ADA's 200-day moving average. Holding above it would preserve the broader recovery structure visible on the chart, while a sustained break below could expose the $0.215 area.

The latest pullback therefore leaves $0.254 and $0.233 as the key levels. Trading volume also increased during the major upward moves, showing stronger trading activity. Overall, the chart characterizes ADA as medium-term bullish, even as short-term momentum has weakened. Beyond the chart, the same Santiment metrics that flagged the whale and social spikes provide a running read on whether large-holder activity and public attention hold at elevated levels, while continued progress on Fireblocks support, institutional integrations, and Leios remains among the ecosystem developments traders are watching alongside price.