Ancient Ethereum Whale Sells 5,000 ETH, Impacts Market
- Ethereum whale activates wallet after years, sells 5,000 ETH.
- ETH price drops 3.7% post-sale, recovers slightly.
- Market sees rise in transaction volume and speculation.

An ancient Ethereum whale sold 5,000 ETH on June 21, 2025. This move triggered fluctuations in the cryptocurrency market, with Ethereum’s price experiencing a brief drop. The whale, an early Ethereum investor, had initially acquired the tokens at the 2015 ICO.
The sale of Ethereum by a prominent early investor has drawn attention due to its immediate impact on market dynamics and trading volume. Though prices briefly dipped, broader accumulation trends remained positive among other large holders.
The ancient whale’s recent financial activity ended years of dormancy, dating back to the 2015 ICO. At that time, the whale acquired 2,000 ETH at $0.31 each. The whale’s sale sparked heightened activity, evidenced by a 12% transaction volume increase.
“An old Ethereum whale wallet from 2015 suddenly became active. The wallet received 2,000 ETH during its ICO for just $620 — now worth over $5 million… This ICO wallet move has stirred speculation around possible large transfers or even a full liquidation.” — Lookonchain, On-chain Analytics, source
Ethereum’s market witnessed a short-lived decline following the whale’s sale. Prices fell from $2,672.99 to $2,533.89 before stabilizing. Broader data indicates that other large ETH holders continue significant accumulations, contradicting potential fears of a broader sell-off.
While this event primarily affected Ethereum, no direct impact on other cryptocurrencies or decentralized finance tokens was observed. Analysts advise monitoring such whale movements closely for hints of market sentiment changes.
Market trends underline the volatile nature of cryptocurrency trading. Although whale movements can cause immediate impacts, long-term trends often reveal sustained confidence among large holders. Analysts emphasize ongoing whale accumulation as a positive sign.
Continued analysis of whale activity signals key market indicators, guiding investors through the volatile landscape. Historical whale trends have sometimes predicted redistribution phases, but this recent activity supports a narrative of accumulation, not wide-scale selling.