2026-01-05 01:23:41

Trading reveals clues on the first day of the new year. While most people are still on holiday, smart money has already started quietly positioning. Every move by the whales could hold the answer in the upcoming market.

**Take a look at what these big players are doing on January 1st**

CHAINLINK(LINK) was heavily bought in. A single large wallet increased its holdings by 3.6 million tokens, worth about $4.46 million. What are these players betting on? Historically, LINK tends to surge in January, and this time they are front-running it.

ETHENA(ENA) was sold off. A full 20 million tokens were sold, valued at $4.2 million. Checking the fundamentals, TVL has been steadily declining, no wonder the whales are choosing to run.

PENDLE(PENDLE), on the other hand, is adding to their position against the trend. The chart looks messy, but big players are still accumulating 770,000 tokens (worth $1.42 million). This isn’t just throwing a tantrum; professional traders are also bottom-fishing, and the whales might be waiting for a rebound.

**Policy Timeline for 2026: Remember these six dates**

This year’s policy pace will directly influence the market. In January, the U.S. Senate will hold hearings on the crypto market bill, and the division of regulatory authority between the SEC and CFTC will finally be clarified. The SEC’s hidden “Innovation Exemption” proposal is also about to be unveiled.

May 15th is a significant day—Federal Reserve Chair Powell’s term expires. The new appointee (the most likely candidate is Kevin Hassett) will take office, bringing a new tone to the crypto policy environment.

July 1st, California’s “Digital Financial Assets Law” officially takes effect. All crypto businesses operating in California will need to apply for licenses—regulation is truly landing.

July 18th, laws like the “Genius Act” will begin to be implemented according to detailed rules, and the specific regulations will become clearer.

Following the whales’ rhythm and keeping an eye on the policy calendar is the way to stay ahead in 2026.

LINK-4,42%

ENA-6,82%

PENDLE-6,52%

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.

11 Likes

Reward
11
9
Repost
Share

Comment

0/400

LazyDevMiner

· 16h ago

Whales started hunting on January 1, and I'm still in bed haha LINK this wave is a bit risky, I got trapped in it over the past two years ENA's collapse, TVL is a complete mess, it should have been cut long ago PENDLE these guys really dare to copy, waiting for a crash The policy calendar definitely needs to be watched closely, but honestly, no matter how much regulation there is, it can't change my passion for trading cryptocurrencies

View OriginalReply0

DegenDreamer

· 01-06 10:58

Whales started planning on January 1st, while we're still scrolling on our phones... The gap is really huge.

View OriginalReply0

ValidatorViking

· 01-06 08:44

nah, the whale tracking playbook is solid but you're missing the real test here—consensus finality under regulatory pressure. link's Jan pump is textbook, but when sec starts slashing protocol clarity in may, that's when we see who's actually battle-tested vs just following momentum. pendle's the interesting one tho... that's not desperation, that's validator-level patience.

Reply0

DataChief

· 01-05 01:53

Whales cutting ENA, I knew it was not going to be good. The TVL has dropped to rock bottom, and you still want to buy the dip? Stick with reliable old brands like LINK; January has always been their prime time over the years.

View OriginalReply0

GetRichLeek

· 01-05 01:53

Damn, I missed the chance to buy LINK this time. Just looking at the on-chain data makes me regret it to death. ENA's whales are really quick to run. I was still debating whether to cut losses or not. I really can't learn the courage to bottom fish PENDLE. With such poor technicals, if I dare to buy, it must be really foolish. Wait, could the change of Powell in May be another key point for a big market move? I need to prepare in advance. Once again, I'm destined to be cut like a leek. Seeing others deploy early, I just know that I’ve wasted another year.

View OriginalReply0

Anon4461

· 01-05 01:52

Whales cutting ENA, I knew there was a problem. With TVL dropping so much, why didn't they run? LINK, on the other hand, bet correctly and is waiting for a surge in January.

View OriginalReply0

just_another_wallet

· 01-05 01:41

When whales dump LINK, I follow; when ENA runs away, I also run; that operation with PENDLE is truly top-notch... This is what a professional player should look like.

View OriginalReply0

AltcoinHunter

· 01-05 01:24

When the whales ran away from ENA, I was still holding on. Now looking at this analysis... I kind of regret cutting my position. LINK this wave is indeed interesting, is the January pattern really that solid? I didn't expect to add to PENDLE, with such a terrible chart still daring to buy in. If I hadn't seen professional players also bottom-fishing, I would have believed this was the last fake-out before a rebound. The policy change in May was truly a key point. I'll need to review my holdings again then.

View OriginalReply0