Bitcoin’s on-chain activity lit up again as Blockstream CEO Adam Back alerted the Bitcoin community to the return of the so-called “Bitfinex whale.” According to Back, this unknown but powerful entity has been accumulating Bitcoin at a staggering rate, purchasing roughly 300 BTC per day over the past 48 hours using time-weighted average price (TWAP) buying strategies. He emphasized:

“For context 300btc/day that’s $400/second all day, historically they’ve done this days, weeks continuously and ramped it up too harder too up to 1000btc/day ($1300/second all-day at these prices).”

The Bitfinex whale effect

The sustained appetite of this whale, especially one connected with Bitfinex, is a potentially market-moving signal. Whale accumulation (large buys executed methodically over time) can soak up significant supply, causing upward pressure on price or stabilizing the market during volatility. Such whale behavior has preceded large bullish moves in previous cycles, as well as short-term volatility when whales shift gears or exit positions.

But not everyone sees this as unequivocally bullish. As one of Back’s followers commented:

“That’s not a good thing, as Bitfinex whales buy downtrends and sell uptrends.”

This highlights a long-debated dynamic. Some whales accumulate during market weakness and then distribute (sell) into liquidity during stronger markets, adding both buying support in downturns and potential resistance during rallies.

Whatever your take on the Bitfinex whale, Adam Back is no ordinary observer. As the inventor of Hashcash, a critical Proof-of-Work algorithm referenced in the original Bitcoin whitepaper, Back is seen as one of the founding figures in the crypto space.

He is the CEO and co-founder of Blockstream, a global leader in Bitcoin protocol development and infrastructure. Renowned as a cypherpunk and one of the first to correspond with Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, Back’s market commentary carries outsized weight within the industry.

Will Bitcoin price shake off broader slump?

Earlier today, former BitMEX CEO, Arthur Hayes warned of a global liquidity crunch and expected BTC to test $100,000 in the near term, adjusting his positions accordingly. Can traders expect this to change with the Bitfinex whale back on scene?

On-chain data suggests that when whales accumulate at this scale, it’s typically a sign of strong hands preparing for the next price move, or smart money stepping in to absorb panic selling. With supply on exchanges already at record lows and institutional interest surging, continuous spot buying from traders like the Bitfinex whale could fuel both a relief rally and long-term supply squeeze, especially if sustained over days or weeks.

However, whale accumulation doesn’t guarantee a straight line upward. Recent years have shown that large holders are just as likely to defend support as they are to take profit if the opportunity arises. Traders will be watching closely for signs of a trend reversal or major move.

Mentioned in this article

Cantor Fitzgerald’s blank‑cheque affiliate is in late‑stage talks to acquire more than $3 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) from Adam Back’s Blockstream Capital through a transaction that could exceed $4 billion, the Financial Times reported on July 15. 

Cantor Equity Partners 1, a special‑purpose acquisition company that raised $200 million in a January IPO, would issue new shares to Back in exchange for as much as 30,000 BTC. The amount represents approximately $3 billion at current prices.

Furthermore, the firm intends to seek up to $800 million in additional outside capital for further Bitcoin purchases. Upon completion of the transaction, the vehicle will be renamed BSTR Holdings.

Deal details

If completed, the deal would mirror a $3.6 billion Bitcoin buying venture, Twenty One Capital, that Cantor Fitzgerald’s Brandon Lutnick set up with SoftBank and Tether in April.

Combined, the two SPACs could accumulate nearly $10 billion in Bitcoin this year, positioning Cantor as one of the most active institutional buyers of the asset. 

Back is best known for inventing Hashcash and co-founding Blockstream in 2014. As part of the deal, Back will swap the contributed Bitcoin for equity in the public firm.

Blockstream Capital’s stake would rise alongside any subsequent purchases the SPAC finances with newly raised capital. Brandon Lutnick was named chair of Cantor Fitzgerald in February after his father, Howard Lutnick, became US Commerce Secretary.

Cantor’s move follows a playbook popularized by Strategy, whose Bitcoin treasury approach has prompted a wave of corporations and SPACs to raise equity or issue convertible bonds to buy BTC outright. 

Timing and regulatory backdrop

Negotiators aim to finalize terms as early as this week, placing the announcement in the midst of what Republican lawmakers have branded “Crypto Week,” during which the House is debating multiple digital asset bills. 

Cantor’s push also aligns with President Donald Trump’s deregulatory stance toward crypto markets, a shift that executives describe as conducive to large balance sheet allocations. 

The transaction would require shareholder approval and review by the Securities and Exchange Commission of updated disclosures detailing the Bitcoin contribution and capital raise. 

Should the SPAC complete its acquisition and subsequent fundraising, BSTR Holdings would emerge as one of the world’s largest listed holders of Bitcoin, trailing only Strategy and a handful of spot ETF trusts.

Mentioned in this article

Blockstream chief executive Adam Back has a huge prediction for Bitcoin’s (BTC) market cap.

Back says on the social media platform X that the business intelligence firm Strategy and other companies employing a BTC treasury policy “are an arbitrage of the dislocation between the Bitcoin future and today’s fiat world.”

“A sustainable and scalable $100-$200 trillion trade front-running hyperbitcoinization. Scalable enough for most big listed companies to move to BTC treasury.”

Back argues a strategy involving the flagship crypto is “a logical and sustainable arbitrage.”

“But not forever, the driver is Bitcoin price going up over four-year periods faster than interest and inflation. Post-hyperbitcoinization, mNAV probably trends to 1.”

MNAV stands for “multiple of net asset value,” and it refers to the ratio of a company’s stock price in relation to the value of the Bitcoin that the company holds per share.

Back also says BTC treasuries are part of a long-term effort to reprice the world in Bitcoin. The Blockstream CEO argues BTC will “become the hurdle rate for operating companies.”

Bitcoin is trading at $93,773 at time of writing. The top-ranked crypto asset by market cap is up nearly 8% in the past seven days.

Follow us on X, Facebook and Telegram

Don’t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Check Price Action

Surf The Daily Hodl Mix

&nbsp

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Investment firms with Bitcoin-focused treasuries are front-running global Bitcoin adoption, which may see the world’s first cryptocurrency soar to a $200 trillion market capitalization in the coming decade.

Institutions and governments worldwide are starting to recognize the unique monetary properties of Bitcoin (BTC), according to Adam Back, co-founder and CEO of Blockstream and the inventor of Hashcash.

“$MSTR and other treasury companies are an arbitrage of the dislocation between the bitcoin future and todays fiat world,” Back wrote in an April 26 X post.

“A sustainable and scalable $100-$200 trillion trade front-running hyperbitcoinization. scalable enough for most big listed companies to move to btc treasury,” he added.

Hyperbitcoinization refers to the theoretical future where Bitcoin soars to become the largest global currency, replacing fiat money due to its inflationary economics and growing distrust in the legacy financial system.

Related: Crypto sentiment recovers, but weekend liquidity risks remain

Bitcoin’s price outpacing fiat money inflation remains the main driver of global hyperbitcoinization, Back said, adding:

“Some people think treasury strategy is a temporary glitch. i’m saying no it’s a logical and sustainable arbitrage. but not for ever, the driver is bitcoin price going up over 4 year periods faster than interest and inflation.”

Back’s comments come nearly two months after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a national Bitcoin reserve from BTC forfeited in government criminal cases.

Related: Serbia’s Prince Filip says Bitcoin is being stifled, expects huge rally

Global firms continue Bitcoin accumulation

Continued Bitcoin investments from the likes of Strategy, the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, may inspire more global firms to follow suit.

Strategy’s approach is proving to be lucrative, with the firm’s Bitcoin treasury generating over $5.1 billion worth of profit since the beginning of 2025, according to Strategy’s co-founder, Michael Saylor.

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet, also known as “Asia’s MicroStrategy,”  adopted a similar strategy, since surpassing 5,000 BTC in total holdings on April 24, Cointelegraph reported.

As Asia’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder, Metaplanet plans to acquire 21,000 BTC by 2026.

US financial institutions may also have more confidence in adopting Bitcoin after the US Federal Reserve withdrew its 2022 guidance discouraging banks from engaging with cryptocurrency. “Banks are now free to begin supporting Bitcoin,” Saylor said in response to the guidance withdrawal.

“Banks will now be supervised through normal processes, signaling a more open regulatory environment for digital asset integration,” Nexo dispatch analyst Iliya Kalchev told Cointelegraph.

Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19

Between 2020 and 2023, Au managed and spent funds that were allegedly obtained through fraud. She used shell companies to move money and funded an extravagant lifestyle, which included expensive cars, real estate, and cryptocurrency investments.

Prosecutors claim she knowingly withdrew large sums into her personal accounts without reporting them to tax authorities.

Did you know?

Want to get smarter & wealthier with crypto?

Subscribe – We publish new crypto explainer videos every week!

How to Get Free Crypto? (Explained with Animations)

Her plea deal acknowledges her role in handling the funds, and she now faces a possible three-year prison sentence. As part of the agreement, she has agreed to cooperate with investigators, which could influence her sentencing.

With Au’s cooperation, prosecutors continue to expose the full extent of Iza’s network. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, with Au expected to receive her sentence later this year.

Iza, who was arrested in September 2024, has been accused of multiple financial crimes, including wire fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors say his schemes went beyond digital finance, pointing to his role in defrauding Meta of $37 million by exploiting Facebook’s advertising system through his crypto platform, Zort.

In January, Iza pleaded guilty to fraud, conspiracy, and tax-related charges. If convicted, he could serve up to 35 years in prison.

Meanwhile, on February 20, a former payroll manager at WeChain, Ho Kai Xin, was sentenced to nine years and 11 months in prison. What happened? Read the full story.

Blockstream CEO Adam Back says that Bitcoin (BTC) is still in the early stages of the current bull market as the adoption of the flagship crypto asset mounts.

In a new interview with CNBC, Back says that Bitcoin’s buying demand remains high across various investing segments, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and that the bull market is far from over.

“I think we’re certainly in the early stages of the bull market at this point. You know, typically the bull market cycle lasts for a certain period after the halving, and so we’re still in the early innings. I think there are very stiff inflows from ETFs buying about two times the Bitcoin mined per day, MicroStrategy and the other Bitcoin treasury companies buying another two times, and the retail buyers and dollar-cost-average investors. So really, that’s a lot of inflow.”

Back predicts Bitcoin will soon start printing a series of rallies and may see an explosive breakout if governments start adopting Bitcoin strategic reserves.

“I think temporarily there’s some consolidation, because some earlier investors, sort of mid-term investors’ profit taking. But that overlay would set us up for a price where you start to see Bitcoin competing with gold, perhaps pulling money out of gold ETFs, into Bitcoin, ETFs. And then, of course, if the treasuries come in, like the sovereign treasuries, the Bitcoin reserves, that would be something where you’d see sovereign competition, as soon as one of the bigger countries jumps in, I think the others will feel forced to follow suit, so all bets will be off if that happens…

I think there’s a lot more capital in the institutional space of pension funds and mutual funds. So there’s a lot of room for capital to come in in this cycle.”

Bitcoin is trading for $98,247 at time of writing, up 1.4% in the last 24 hours.

?

Don’t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Check Price Action

Follow us on X, Facebook and Telegram

Surf The Daily Hodl Mix

&nbsp

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney