- Cardano whales accumulated 320 million ADA despite the token falling more than 14% over the past week.
- However, bearish futures data suggest ADA must reclaim $0.18-$0.20 to confirm a stronger recovery.
Cardano (ADA) has remained under pressure after losing more than 14% over the past week. While the price continues to trade below key resistance levels, large investors have taken advantage of the decline by adding hundreds of millions of ADA to their holdings.
The growing whale accumulation has sparked speculation that the recent correction could be laying the foundation for a future recovery, although technical indicators still point to weak short-term momentum.
Cardano Whales Accumulate 320 Million ADA
Cardano was trading near $0.158 on July 14 after an extended pullback. Despite the decline, on-chain data shows that major investors have continued buying.
According to Santiment, wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million ADA accumulated 320 million ADA since July 7. As a result, these large holders now control more than 25.6 billion ADA, their highest combined balance since February 2023.
✍️ TL;DR: Cardano’s key stakeholder holdings reach a 3.5 year high
📊 Metrics Used: Supply Distribution
🔗 Live Chart: https://t.co/9lzM6kxdcb🦈 Cardano’s 100K to 100M ADA wallets now hold more than 25.6B coins, their highest level since February, 2023.
📉 Retail is doing the… pic.twitter.com/7iHLl5xyHT
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) July 13, 2026
The trend stands in contrast to retail investors. Wallets holding fewer than 100 ADA have reduced their holdings by around 0.7% over the past four months.
Santiment noted that “strong hands are adding while the chart still looks uncomfortable,” suggesting experienced investors are accumulating while smaller holders continue selling. The analytics platform also pointed to ongoing Cardano ecosystem developments, including progress on the Leios testnet, Hydra scaling, and Mithril, as positive long-term factors.
Bearish Futures Data Keeps Pressure on ADA
Although whale buying has increased, derivatives data show traders remain cautious.
Open interest in ADA futures has dropped to $385 million, continuing its recent decline. At the same time, the OI-weighted funding rate has turned negative at -0.0028%, indicating that short sellers are paying long traders. This typically reflects bearish market sentiment.
The long-to-short ratio has also fallen to 0.79, showing that more traders are betting on additional downside than on a recovery.
Meanwhile, technical indicators remain mixed. The RSI sits near 42, suggesting weak buying momentum, while the MACD is approaching its neutral level.
Key Cardano Price Levels to Watch
ADA is currently trying to hold support around $0.16. If buyers defend this level, the first upside targets are $0.17 and $0.18.
However, analysts believe a sustained move above $0.20 would provide stronger confirmation that bullish momentum is returning. The price also faces resistance from the 50-day EMA near $0.181, the 100-day EMA around $0.211, and the 200-day EMA close to $0.280.
On the downside, losing the $0.15 support could open the door to a deeper decline toward the $0.13-$0.14 range, which some traders see as a potential accumulation zone.
Several analysts also continue to monitor ADA’s descending channel pattern. A breakout above that formation could strengthen the case for a recovery toward $0.18 and $0.20.
Can Whale Buying Trigger a Cardano Recovery?
Whale accumulation often signals growing confidence among large investors, but it does not guarantee an immediate price reversal. For now, bearish futures positioning and weak technical indicators continue to weigh on ADA.
Still, with major holders reaching their highest balances in more than three years, market participants will be watching closely to see whether continued accumulation eventually translates into stronger price action. If buyers reclaim the key resistance levels above $0.18 and $0.20, Cardano could begin building a more sustainable recovery.
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