Bitcoin News Today: Sharks Accumulate Record 143K BTC Ahead of Fed Rate Decision

Bitcoin’s (BTC) medium-sized holders, aka “sharks,” are buying aggressively into expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, echoing patterns that in the past have preceded some of the cryptocurrency’s strongest rallies.

Sharks Accumulate at Record Pace

Entities holding between 100 and 1,000 BTC have added nearly 143,654 BTC in a single day as of Sept. 16, according to Glassnode data. Their combined stash has climbed to a record 3.71 million BTC, coinciding with Bitcoin’s price hovering near $116,800.

This is the sharpest daily spike in shark net accumulation since at least 2021. The timing stands out: markets currently price a 96% chance of a Fed rate cut this week, with two more expected by year’s end.

That suggests sharks are front-running a liquidity shift, positioning before cheaper money returns to the system.

Lessons From Bitcoin’s Trends in 2012 and 2019

Sharks’ behavior matters because they straddle the line between whales and large retail participants. Historically, their BTC accumulation phases have aligned with turning points in macro policy and major Bitcoin price expansions.

Two historical episodes illustrate how shark buying can foreshadow macro-driven bull runs.

Just ahead of the Fed’s quantitative easing in September 2012, shark net buying spiked by more than +300,000 BTC. At the time, Bitcoin traded around $11–12. Over the following year, BTC entered a powerful uptrend that culminated in the 2013 breakout above $1,000.

Similarly, after months of distribution earlier in 2019, sharks turned net buyers again in mid-2019 as the Fed delivered three consecutive rate cuts (July–October).

Their net position change peaked around +55,000 BTC in early September, just as BTC cooled to the $9,000 range following its June peak near $13,000.

The accumulation helped lay the groundwork for Bitcoin’s next bullish cycle, which eventually carried prices to new all-time highs in 2020–2021.

Both cases show sharks reacting decisively when monetary conditions ease and often before broader markets price in the impact.

The latest spike in shark accumulation comes as investors brace for the Fed’s pivot back toward looser policy. Bitcoin ETFs are already siphoning supply, and Bitcoin is trading just a few thousand dollars below its record high of around $124,500.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

A WHALE BOUGHT 5,817 $BTC WORTH $678 MILLION TODAY.

THIS GUY DEFINITELY KNOWS SOMETHING. pic.twitter.com/oEOhbDT2qV

— Max Crypto (@MaxCryptoxx) September 17, 2025

Fresh buying from this cohort tightens the liquid market even further.

If history is a guide, sharks are once again signaling confidence that Bitcoin will be a prime beneficiary of lower rates.

For traders, the key question is whether the Fed validates these expectations. If it does, the combination of record shark holdings and thin supply could be the catalyst for a breakout beyond $120,000 in the months ahead.