What Crypto Whales Are Buying For Potential Gains In February 2026

January has been a volatile month for crypto, with early-month gains followed by a sharp late-month sell-off. Several major tokens erased weeks of progress in days. Amid this uncertainty, crypto whales in February are positioning around three assets showing early reversal signals.

On-chain data points to rising accumulation where selling pressure is fading and bullish divergence patterns are forming or nearing confirmation. This suggests large wallets are preparing for selective rebounds rather than chasing short-term momentum.

Shiba Inu (SHIB)

Shiba Inu is one of the more surprising names showing crypto whale activity heading into February. Despite a weak January for most altcoins, SHIB is up about 3.3% over the past 30 days, making it one of the few major tokens on track to close the month in green.

This relative strength is now being backed by large holders.

Since January 27, whales have increased their holdings from 666.05 trillion to 666.74 trillion SHIB, an addition of 690 billion SHIB, showing steady positioning during market weakness. The timing of this buildup is closely linked to a key technical signal.

Between November 4 and January 25, SHIB formed a bullish divergence. During this period, price made a lower low, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) formed a higher low. RSI measures momentum and shows whether buying or selling pressure is strengthening. When the price weakens, but the RSI improves, it suggests sellers are losing control.

This divergence occurred within a broader falling wedge, a bullish pattern in which price compresses before a potential breakout. After the signal flashed on January 25, SHIB printed two green candles, and whales began adding from January 27.

Since January 28, the SHIB price has corrected, but whale balances have remained stable. This suggests that large holders are waiting for another confirmation before exiting early.

A similar divergence is now forming again. For confirmation, the next SHIB price candle needs to form above $0.0000071. If that happens, momentum could strengthen toward the key breakout zone near $0.0000091, with upside room toward $0.000012.

If $0.0000071 fails, the bullish setup weakens, and risks are renewed downside.

For now, whale accumulation and improving momentum signals suggest SHIB is being positioned as a potential February recovery play.

Pendle (PENDLE)

Pendle is another token that crypto whales in February appear to be positioning around, despite recent price weakness. On-chain data shows that large holders increased their PENDLE holdings from 181.54 million on January 27 to 184.81 million, an addition of 3.27 million tokens.

At the current price, this accumulation is worth roughly $6.3 million, signaling strong conviction during a market pullback.

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This buildup comes at a time when PENDLE has struggled on the surface. The token is down about 6% in the past 24 hours and nearly 5.2% over the past month, reflecting broader weakness in DeFi and yield-focused assets.

However, whale behavior suggests that larger investors may be positioning for a medium-term reversal rather than chasing short-term momentum.

On the 12-hour chart, PENDLE is showing early signs of bullish divergence. Between November 14 and January 30, the price formed a lower low, while the RSI formed a higher low.

For this setup to remain valid, the current 12-hour candle must hold above $1.78. If this level is defended, the divergence remains intact, improving the odds of a reversal.

This pattern aligns closely with whale accumulation, which accelerated after January 27, following the earlier divergence signal that played out between November 14 and January 25.

If momentum improves, the first resistance sits near $2.08, about 14% above current levels. A breakout there could open upside toward $2.38 and $2.87. However, failure to hold $1.78 would weaken the bullish thesis and restore downside risk.

For now, PENDLE reflects a classic whale-led reversal setup: accumulation into weakness, supported by improving momentum signals.

Cardano (ADA)

Cardano has suddenly appeared on crypto whales’ radar heading into February, driven by sharp accumulation across two major holder groups.

Data shows that wallets holding 1 billion ADA or more began adding on January 28. Their combined holdings rose from around 2.93 billion ADA to 3.18 billion ADA. At the same time, the 100 million to 1 billion ADA cohort joined the move on January 29. Their balances climbed from 2.55 billion to 2.60 billion ADA.

Together, the two largest whale groups accumulated nearly 300 million ADA in just 48 hours, signaling a coordinated shift in positioning.

This buying stands out because Cardano has been under pressure. ADA is down nearly 6% in the past 24 hours and about 7.2% over the past month, reflecting broader market weakness. On the surface, this does not look like a bullish environment. But the chart shows why whales may be getting interested.

Between December 31 and January 30, ADA printed a lower low in price, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) formed a higher low. To confirm this bullish divergence, the next price candle must hold above $0.31, and the RSI should now fall below the December 31 levels.

ADA currently trades near $0.32, maintaining the structure. RSI also needs to stay above its rising trendline.

If the signal confirms, the first rebound target sits near $0.36, a key resistance level that was broken on January 22. Reclaiming it would mark a potential 12% upside from current levels.

However, a breakdown below $0.31 would invalidate the reversal setup and weaken the whale thesis.