The Arbitrum ecosystem experienced a significant movement of assets as heavyweight holders, colloquially known as “whales”, transferred their tokens to various exchanges. This activity occurred shortly after a considerable amount of earned tokens were made available early in March. More specifically, on March 23, a blockchain analytics firm identified four separate whale accounts shifting ARB tokens to cryptocurrency exchanges, following an earlier unlock of $2.32 billion in tokens on March 16.
Market Responses to Major Whale Transfers
These whales moved a substantial 11.34 million ARB tokens to prominent exchange Binance through four distinct transactions, valuing the assets at $18.5 million at the time of the transfer. The crypto community is currently showing mixed reactions to these large-scale fund movements within Arbitrum. While some community members do not perceive these transfers as an immediate threat to the market’s stability, others express concerns that the value of ARB tokens may not rally under these conditions. This comes after a similar scenario unfolded last week when 11 whales moved millions in ARB tokens onto exchanges.
Impacts and Expectations Following Token Release
The flurry of transfers took place after Arbitrum, a Layer-2 blockchain project, made available $2.3 billion worth of tokens that had reached the end of their vesting period. The project distributed 673.5 million ARB to its advisors and members of the team, with another 438.25 million ARB designated for its investors. The release procedure, which involved unlocking all tokens simultaneously, had led to speculation about a potential sell-off.
In the weeks following the token release, the price of ARB tokens witnessed a declining trajectory, decreasing from a March 13 peak of $2.22 to $1.84 on the day of the unlock. The token’s value continued to fluctuate, dipping to $1.48 but later recovering to $1.79, and was trading at $1.70 at the time of the report. This price represents a nearly 29% drop from its highest recorded price of $2.39 on January 12, according to the cryptocurrency tracking platform CoinGecko.
Despite the recent downward pressure on prices, this may not signal a definitive trend, as Arbitrum anticipates another unlock event. On April 16, an additional distribution of 92.65 million ARB tokens is scheduled for the project’s advisors, team members, and investors.