Shiba Inu is caught in a precarious tug of war. Within a mere 24 hours, 126 billion SHIB coins moved onto exchanges, causing a rapid increase in reserves that immediately raised concerns of potential selling pressures.
At the same time, the burn rate collapsed by nearly 99.88%, undercutting one of SHIB’s main deflationary talking points. On top of that, daily active addresses have slipped toward yearly lows, a sign that retail participation has cooled off.
CryptoQuant data shows whales stepped in quickly. Large holders began pulling significant amounts of SHIB back off exchanges right as the SHIB price hovered near the key $0.0000050 support zone.
Now the SHIB price is stuck between soft demand metrics and clear evidence that big players are defending important levels. That tension is what makes this setup so volatile.
What you'll learn 👉
Exchange Reserves: A Sudden Spike – Then a Sharp Pullback
The CryptoQuant chart shared by TheCryptoBasic lays it out clearly. On February 27, exchange reserves were sitting around 80.93 trillion SHIB. The next day, they jumped to 81.06 trillion. Moves like that usually point to incoming supply, since tokens sent to exchanges are often positioned for potential selling.
The SHIB price stayed under pressure during that period, continuing its broader slide. Then the tone changed.
Reserves started dropping almost as quickly as they rose. By Sunday, they were back down to 80.90 trillion, and then to 80.87 trillion at press time. That kind of reversal signals withdrawals, meaning whales were moving tokens off exchanges. In most cases, that leans more toward accumulation or longer-term holding than immediate selling.
The timing also matters. Those withdrawals happened as the SHIB price approached the $0.0000050 support area. That doesn’t look random. It looks deliberate.
Support Around $0.0000050 Is Being Watched Closely
The $0.0000050 level has clearly become a line in the sand. Price has tested this zone several times, and each dip has attracted buyers. The bounces haven’t been explosive, but support hasn’t broken either.
When exchange reserves first spiked, it looked like this floor might give way. Instead, the quick reserve pullback suggests larger players saw value at that level and stepped in. That doesn’t mean the SHIB price is ready to run.
On-chain signals still show weakness. The burn rate has nearly stalled. Active addresses remain subdued. Transfer activity has cooled compared to earlier periods. Retail interest simply isn’t strong right now. So there’s a split picture: smaller participants are quiet, but whales are active at support.
Read Also: Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Prediction for March: Here’s the Outlook
What This Means for the SHIB Price
At the moment, the SHIB price is compressed between defended support and stacked resistance overhead. Exchange supply has stabilized after the brief scare, and whale withdrawals hint that the $0.0000050 zone has backing from larger holders.
Still, upside is limited unless momentum improves. The SHIB price continues to run into resistance near prior breakdown levels. Without stronger spot demand, rallies may struggle to go much further than short-term relief moves.
If support continues to hold and whale accumulation persists, this tightening range could break upward. A clean move above recent lower highs would be the first real sign that buyers are regaining control.
If $0.0000050 breaks, though, that earlier exchange spike may end up looking like a warning shot. For now, the SHIB price is locked in a battle. Exchange inflows created fear. Whale withdrawals brought stability. The next decisive move will show which side has the upper hand.
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