Bitcoin: Institutions return with $302 mln buy – Will FOMO fuel BTC?

Key Takeaways

Why could institutional investors drive Bitcoin higher this week?

Institutions are showing strong bullish conviction, with $3.2B in recent buys and consistent exchange outflows.

What do whales and long-term holders indicate?

The Exchange Whale Ratio at 0.43 and low Coin Days Destroyed show whales and LTHs are not selling, creating a tightening supply.

Bitcoin [BTC] has maintained its upward trajectory, recently setting a new all-time high above $125,000.

This level raises questions among investors about whether the surge is a short-term phase or if BTC could extend higher toward the $134,000 mark.

AMBCrypto’s market analysis indicates that the market still shows potential for further upside. Here’s why.

Analysts’ Spot Bitcoin institutional trend

Market analyst Joao Wedson noted a pattern unfolding across exchanges, driven primarily by institutional investors—a trend that could be net positive for prices.

According to his analysis, Bitcoin has seen consistent weekly outflows from exchanges, with the 14-day average turning positive.

This movement, which began in September, is typically linked to long-term investor sentiment and expectations of a major rally.

Joao highlighted that this trend is not led by retail traders but by institutional investors, stating:

“Institutions won’t stop draining exchanges.”

The pattern is especially visible in recent activity on Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) tracking institutional buying and selling.

Last week, Bitcoin outflows from centralized exchanges coincided with institutional investors’ second-largest market purchase amounting to $3.2 billion, according to SosoValue.

Large institutional scoops like this signal strong bullish conviction and suggest that institutions could kick off the new week on a buying note.

While institutional players remain bullish, other investors still play a critical role in determining whether the rally can be sustained.

Investors are bullish

Other investors currently align with market bulls and are likely to drive prices higher. AMBCrypto analyzed major market movers—whales and long-term holders (LTHs) —to assess sentiment.

The Exchange Whale Ratio, which measures whale activity on exchanges, stood at a low 0.43 at press time.

This reading suggests whales are not actively sending BTC to exchanges, indicating a long-term holding outlook.

Further analysis of Binary Coin Days Destroyed (CDD) data from CryptoQuant shows that long-term holders have kept their assets unmoved in recent days.

When investors refrain from moving their assets, it implies they are not selling yet — a sign that supply is tightening. This gradually creates a supply squeeze, which can strengthen Bitcoin’s bullish outlook.

Will Bitcoin go higher?

Bitcoin’s liquidation heatmap shows multiple clusters across price points, with unfilled orders sitting below the current level.

If bullish momentum continues, Bitcoin could sustain its upward trend without revisiting the lower price clusters. Targets from the current range extend up to $134,000, based on technical projections.

A key catalyst for this outcome will be institutional investors starting the week bullish and ending Monday with net inflows.

However, if sentiment shifts—especially among institutions, whales, or long-term holders—Bitcoin could trade into lower liquidity zones.