Shiba Inu investors holding between 0.1% and 1% of the total supply accumulated a staggering 7.63 trillion SHIB, while whale and retail holdings declined.
Shiba Inu recently dropped below the critical $0.00002 mark, a level that previously acted as a strong support. Coinciding with the broader market fluctuations this week, the token initially held its ground before slipping below this mark on Thursday.
However, in the last 24 hours, SHIB regained traction, rising 1.55% to $0.00002026, though it remains down 11.11% over the past week.
Shiba Inu Investor Holdings Surging
A key observation amid this price fluctuation is that mid-sized investors have emerged as the dominant accumulators of SHIB this year. According to data from IntoTheBlock, addresses holding between 0.1% and 1% of the circulating supply have significantly increased their holdings.
As of January 20, these investor-tier wallets held 155.97 trillion SHIB, marking an increase of 7.63 trillion tokens from December 31, 2024, when they held 148.34 trillion SHIB. This figure represents 15.07% of the total SHIB supply, reflecting a 5.51% increase in holdings among this investor group.
Meanwhile, whale holdings have slightly declined. As of January 20, large holders controlled 569.57 trillion SHIB or 57.88% of the circulating supply. The figure marked a decrease from 575.41 trillion SHIB at the end of December when whales held 58.46% of the supply.
Retail participation also saw a slight dip, declining by 0.92%. On December 31, retail investors held 260.56 trillion SHIB, which has since fallen to 258.73 trillion SHIB, representing 26.29% of the total supply.
Shiba Inu holder distribution
Shift in Holding Patterns
Further analysis reveals changes in SHIB holding periods. Short-term and long-term holders have been outpaced by cruisers—investors who hold SHIB between one and twelve months.
In January, cruiser holdings surged by 13.52%, while long-term holders saw a modest increase of 0.05%. Conversely, traders—who hold SHIB for less than a month—declined by 31.93%, suggesting reduced short-term speculation.
Shiba Inu holders
SHIB Exchange Reserves Decline
Elsewhere, supporting the accumulation trends, CryptoQuant data reveal that Shiba Inu reserves on exchanges have also dropped significantly.
On January 21, the reserve hit an all-time low of 98.4 trillion SHIB, marking a 27.4% decline since the beginning of the year. This decrease came just a day after the U.S. presidential inauguration.
Shiba Inu Exchange Reserves
Although reserves slightly rebounded to 98.6 trillion SHIB, they still reflect a 27.2% decline overall. A reduction in exchange reserves often indicates that investors are transferring assets to private wallets or staking platforms, lowering the available supply for selling.
