Cardano has spent much of this year under pressure, and the weak ADA price has tested investors’ patience. Recent market action has left many wondering whether the project has lost its edge or whether the latest decline has created an opportunity that larger investors have already noticed.
Fresh on chain data points to a growing divide between small holders and major wallets. Retail investors continue to reduce their ADA holdings, although whales have quietly moved in the opposite direction. That difference has become one of the clearest trends on the Cardano network, and it could become an important clue for where the ADA price goes next.
Santiment Intelligence reported that Cardano wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million ADA now control more than 25.6 billion ADA. That is the highest level recorded since February 2023.
✍️ TL;DR: Cardano’s key stakeholder holdings reach a 3.5 year high
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) July 13, 2026
📊 Metrics Used: Supply Distribution
🔗 Live Chart: https://t.co/9lzM6kxdcb
🦈 Cardano’s 100K to 100M ADA wallets now hold more than 25.6B coins, their highest level since February, 2023.
📉 Retail is doing the… pic.twitter.com/7iHLl5xyHT
Smaller investors have moved in the opposite direction. Wallets holding fewer than 100 ADA now own about 0.7% fewer coins than they did 4 months ago.
Santiment noted that Cardano has struggled throughout 2026 and recently traded close to multi year lows. Despite that weakness, larger holders have continued to increase their positions instead of reducing exposure.
Several ongoing developments also continue across the Cardano ecosystem. Santiment pointed to progress involving the Leios testnet, Hydra scaling upgrades, Mithril development, Pyth oracle integration, and fresh ecosystem funding initiatives.
The firm’s main takeaway is straightforward. Whale wallets continue to absorb available supply even though retail participation has weakened. History shows that this type of divergence does not guarantee an immediate recovery, although it often becomes an important trend to watch over time.
Key points from Santiment include:
- Wallets holding 100,000 to 100 million ADA now own more than 25.6 billion coins.
- Retail wallets holding fewer than 100 ADA own about 0.7% fewer coins than 4 months ago.
- Whale accumulation has reached its highest level since February 2023.
- Development work continues across several major Cardano initiatives.
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Charles Hoskinson Responds After SBI Chooses Solana Partnership
Fresh discussion also followed an announcement involving Japanese financial company SBI Holdings.
BSCN reported that SBI selected Solana for new stablecoin and tokenized asset initiatives. The decision disappointed some members of the Cardano community because Japan played an important role during Cardano’s early development.
Charles Hoskinson Hits Back After SBI Chooses Solana
— BSCN (@BSCNews) July 14, 2026
Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) has pushed back after Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings unveiled a Solana partnership for stablecoins and tokenized assets, sparking backlash across the Cardano community.
Some $ADA… pic.twitter.com/WhCJFEeALO
Charles Hoskinson responded directly to those concerns. Hoskinson argued that commercial partnerships should come from Cardano’s onchain treasury instead of relying on him or Input Output Global to secure every business relationship.
His response points toward a broader goal for the ecosystem. Cardano aims to allow its decentralized governance system to fund future partnerships instead of depending on a single organization or individual.
ADA Price Still Needs Stronger Technical Confirmation
Current on chain accumulation presents an encouraging backdrop for Cardano, although ADA price still needs stronger technical confirmation before the broader trend changes.
Large wallet accumulation often reduces available supply over time. That process can improve market conditions if demand begins to recover. Current price action, however, still shows buyers have work to do before confidence returns across the market.
Read Also: XRP and Ethereum Traders Are Getting Too Bullish. Here’s Why That Could Be a Warning Sign
Cardano continues to trade well below previous cycle highs. That means resistance levels remain important during any recovery attempt. A stronger move above nearby resistance would improve the technical picture, although continued weakness could keep ADA price under pressure for longer.
This combination creates an interesting situation. On-chain data points toward growing confidence from larger investors, although the market has not fully rewarded that conviction.
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