Ethereum

Cardano

Milk

Arkham

when

An early <a href="https://yellow.com/asset/eth" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Ethereum</a> investor has likely completed a full exit from a 154,076 ETH position accumulated at an average price of $517, with blockchain data showing final transfers to a centralized exchange and an estimated profit of approximately $274 million.
<h2 id="what-happened-whale-completes-exit">What Happened; Whale Completes Exit</h2>
Blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain <a href="https://x.com/lookonchain/status/2009871466893086761" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">reported</a> that the investor began transferring holdings to Bitstamp late last week, depositing 40,251 ETH worth $124 million over two days before moving the final 26,000 ETH to the exchange several hours ago.
The exit represents a gain of approximately 344%.
Data from Arkham <a href="https://intel.arkm.com/explorer/entity/f96ea23f-9e68-4af0-be4d-1ec280257a6c" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">indicates</a> the investor followed a staged exit strategy over eight months, starting with 137 ETH before larger transfers of 17,000 ETH three months ago and 18,000 ETH roughly one month ago.
The timing aligns with broader signs of institutional caution.
The Coinbase Premium Index for ETH remains deeply negative, indicating the cryptocurrency trades at a discount on Coinbase compared to offshore platforms and suggesting elevated selling pressure from U.S.-based institutional participants.
Also Read: <a href="https://yellow.com/news/cardano-long-term-holders-sell-while-short-term-traders-buy-the-dip-whats-next-for-ada" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Cardano Long-Term Holders Sell While Short-Term Traders Buy The Dip — What's Next For ADA?</a>
<h2 id="why-it-matters-valuation-debate">Why It Matters; Valuation Debate</h2>
Despite ongoing selling pressure, some analysts <a href="https://beincrypto.com/ethereum-whale-exit-profit/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">maintain</a> a positive outlook on ETH.
Quinten François has suggested Ethereum appears "massively undervalued" when comparing its economic activity with its price.
Milk Road noted that large investors continue to prioritize the network for its uptime, liquidity, settlement reliability and regulatory clarity.
"As more activity moves onchain, transaction volume and fee generation increase, raising the economic weight placed on Ethereum's base layer," Milk Road stated.
Read Next: <a href="https://yellow.com/news/what-does-bitcoins-move-from-power-law-to-s-curve-mean-for-investors" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">What Does Bitcoin's Move From Power Law To S-Curve Mean For Investors?</a>

Ethereum Whale Nets $274M Profit In Staged Exit, Raising Questions About Institutional Sentiment

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Other articles published on Jan 12, 2026

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