Bitcoin accumulation among wallets holding between 100 and 1,000 BTC is increasingly being viewed as a sign of sustained institutional interest in the asset, particularly in the United States. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju said on Tuesday that “Institutional demand for Bitcoin remains strong,” noting that around 577,000 BTC has been added to this wallet segment over the past year and that inflows are ongoing.

According to CryptoQuant, balances in this cohort have risen by roughly 33% over the past 24 months, a period that broadly aligns with the launch of the first spot Bitcoin ETFs. US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded aggregate inflows of about $1.2 billion so far this year, even as Bitcoin itself has gained roughly 6%.

“Institutions just began to invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum. I think this is just the beginning. Most people can’t imagine in 2030-2040,” replied political economist Crypto Seth.

Corporate treasuries add to accumulation trend

Part of the recent growth in large Bitcoin holdings may also be driven by digital asset treasuries. Corporate cryptocurrency treasuries, led by Michael Saylor’s Strategy, have accumulated around 260,000 BTC since July, valued at approximately $24 billion at current prices.

Glassnode data shows this represents a 30% increase over the past six months, a pace that has exceeded newly mined Bitcoin supply. As a result, corporate treasuries now collectively control more than 1.1 million BTC.

Retail sentiment turns cautious again

In contrast to institutional activity, retail participation has appeared more hesitant in recent months. The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index, which tracks retail market sentiment, slipped back into “fear” territory this week, registering a score of 32 out of 100 on Tuesday. This followed a brief move into “greed” last week, the first such reading since October.

The renewed caution coincided with a pullback in Bitcoin’s price from last week’s high near $97,000 to below $92,000 on Tuesday morning, as markets responded to rising trade tensions between the United States and Europe.

Sources:

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-institutional-demand-remains-strong-cryptoquant-ceo

https://cryptoquant.com/analytics/query/696ea02aa662164c84864a39

https://x.com/ki_young_ju/status/2013369998618525952

https://x.com/seth_fin/status/2013371278418149651

https://alternative.me/crypto/fear-and-greed-index/