Executive Summary
The Story So Far
Why This Matters
Who Thinks What?
Whale investors have significantly accumulated Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Little Pepe (LILPEPE) following a dramatic crypto market crash on October 19, 2025, sparked by new U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. The market experienced $19.5 billion in leveraged liquidations and double-digit falls among top coins, yet large holders viewed the downturn as a buying opportunity, signaling confidence in future price movements.
Market Context
The broader cryptocurrency market recently faced a sharp downturn after the U.S. government announced 100% tariffs on Chinese imports. This unexpected economic move triggered widespread selling pressure, resulting in the liquidation of approximately $19.5 billion in leveraged positions and significant price drops across major digital assets.
Solana (SOL) Activity
Solana’s price dipped by 20%, falling below the $200 mark, which prompted substantial accumulation by large investors. In one day, over 540,926 units of SOL, valued at $106 million, were transferred between digital wallets, indicating significant redistribution among whales. Despite the market volatility, Solana’s network maintained its operational integrity, continuing to process transactions and attract capital. Analysts previously identified the $240-$245 range as a critical breakout zone for SOL, with potential targets near $260 if overcome.
Cardano (ADA) Trends
Cardano also saw quiet accumulation from institutional whales during the broader market sell-off. According to Santiment data, wallets holding between 10 million and 100 million ADA added approximately 140 million ADA in recent days. Concurrently, Coinbase’s ADA holdings reportedly increased by 462% in the past week, with growing sentiment around a potential ADA exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval fueling bullish outlooks for a recovery towards $1. Market analyst Ali Martinez suggested $0.69 as an ideal entry point, targeting $2 for ADA.
Little Pepe (LILPEPE) Emergence
Little Pepe (LILPEPE), a newer meme coin project, is reportedly attracting significant attention from both retail and large-scale investors during its presale. The project has raised $27 million, selling 16.46 billion tokens, with its price increasing two-fold from its initial stage. Positioning itself as Pepe’s successor, Little Pepe aims to differentiate itself by building an Ethereum-compatible Layer-2 chain specifically for meme projects, which it claims will offer zero transaction taxes, anti-sniper protections, and a dedicated meme launchpad. The project has also secured a CertiK audit and mentions listings on CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko as factors building credibility.
Whale Patterns and Future Outlook
The observed accumulation patterns across Solana, Cardano, and Little Pepe suggest that whale investors are making strategic bets across different sectors of the crypto market. This behavior indicates a collective confidence in the potential for these tokens to lead future market uptrends, urging observers to monitor volume surges, wallet inflows, and upcoming listing events as indicators of continued momentum.
