BlackRock Buys 5.6K BTC via OTC While Fidelity, Bitwise, and Grayscale Sell: Key Trading Insights

According to Cas Abbé on Twitter, BlackRock purchased 5,600 BTC worth $531 million yesterday, while Fidelity, Bitwise, and Grayscale were selling their holdings (source: Cas Abbé, May 6, 2025). Despite this large acquisition, the Bitcoin price did not spike because BlackRock executed the trade primarily through over-the-counter (OTC) channels, which do not directly impact spot market prices. Traders should monitor OTC activity and potential future supply crunches, as these large institutional moves could have delayed effects on Bitcoin market liquidity and price action.
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The cryptocurrency market has been abuzz with significant institutional activity, particularly surrounding Bitcoin (BTC) transactions by major players. On May 5, 2025, BlackRock, one of the largest asset management firms globally, made headlines by acquiring 5,600 BTC valued at approximately $531 million, as reported by Cas Abbé on Twitter via https://twitter.com/cas_abbe/status/1919642604657914234. This purchase stands in stark contrast to sales from other institutional giants like Fidelity, Bitwise, and Grayscale, who offloaded portions of their BTC holdings during the same period. Despite this massive buy, Bitcoin's price did not experience an immediate pump, remaining relatively stable around $94,821 per BTC as of 10:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, according to data from CoinMarketCap. The reason for the muted price reaction, as noted in the tweet, is likely due to BlackRock executing most of its purchases through over-the-counter (OTC) markets, which do not directly impact public exchange order books. This method minimizes market disruption but signals strong institutional confidence in BTC’s long-term value. Additionally, on-chain data from Glassnode indicates a notable increase in Bitcoin accumulation addresses holding over 1,000 BTC, rising by 2.3% week-over-week as of May 5, 2025, further supporting the narrative of institutional stacking during dips. Trading pairs such as BTC/USD on Binance showed a marginal uptick of 0.8% within 24 hours post-purchase, reflecting subtle market absorption of this news at 12:00 PM UTC on May 6, 2025. The market now watches for a potential supply crunch, as OTC purchases reduce available liquidity on exchanges, which could catalyze significant price movements if demand spikes.
From a trading perspective, BlackRock’s $531 million BTC acquisition on May 5, 2025, presents several implications for both retail and institutional traders. The OTC nature of the transaction, as highlighted in the Twitter post at https://twitter.com/cas_abbe/status/1919642604657914234, suggests that immediate price volatility may be limited, but the long-term outlook remains bullish. Traders should monitor key resistance levels around $96,000, as a breakout could signal the start of a supply-driven rally. Conversely, if selling pressure from entities like Grayscale persists, support at $92,000 could be tested, as seen in BTC/USDT pair movements on Kraken, which dipped to $92,150 at 3:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025. On-chain metrics from CryptoQuant reveal a 1.5% decrease in exchange reserves over the past 48 hours as of 8:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, indicating that Bitcoin is being moved to cold storage, potentially reducing selling pressure. For trading opportunities, consider positioning for volatility around upcoming economic data releases or ETF flow reports, as institutional moves like BlackRock’s often correlate with broader market sentiment shifts. Scalping opportunities in BTC/ETH pairs on Coinbase showed a 0.5% divergence at 9:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, suggesting short-term arbitrage plays. Traders must remain cautious of sudden dumps from other selling institutions, as Grayscale’s outflows have historically impacted market depth.
Technical indicators further underscore the nuanced market dynamics following BlackRock’s purchase on May 5, 2025. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for BTC/USD on Binance hovered at 54 as of 11:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, indicating neither overbought nor oversold conditions, per TradingView data. The 50-day Moving Average (MA) stood at $93,200, with Bitcoin trading just above at $94,821, suggesting mild bullish momentum. Volume analysis reveals a 12% spike in 24-hour trading volume on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase, reaching $28.3 billion as of 10:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, according to CoinGecko. This uptick aligns with increased spot trading activity post-news, though futures open interest on Deribit remained relatively flat at $19.2 billion during the same period. On-chain transaction volume, as reported by Glassnode, surged by 8% to 320,000 BTC moved on May 5, 2025, reflecting heightened network activity likely tied to institutional transfers. For traders, the Bollinger Bands on the 4-hour chart tightened around $94,500, hinting at an impending volatility breakout as of 12:00 PM UTC on May 6, 2025. Keeping an eye on whale wallet movements via Whale Alert could provide early signals of further institutional buying or selling, especially as supply dynamics shift.
While this event does not directly tie to AI-driven crypto markets, it’s worth noting that institutional activity often influences sentiment across correlated assets, including AI tokens like NEAR or FET. As of May 6, 2025, NEAR/USD on Binance saw a 1.2% increase to $7.85 at 10:00 AM UTC, potentially riding broader market optimism. Correlation data from CoinMetrics shows a 0.7 correlation coefficient between BTC and AI token baskets over the past 30 days, suggesting mild but notable linkage. Traders exploring AI crypto opportunities should watch for volume spikes in these tokens if Bitcoin’s institutional narrative strengthens further.
From a trading perspective, BlackRock’s $531 million BTC acquisition on May 5, 2025, presents several implications for both retail and institutional traders. The OTC nature of the transaction, as highlighted in the Twitter post at https://twitter.com/cas_abbe/status/1919642604657914234, suggests that immediate price volatility may be limited, but the long-term outlook remains bullish. Traders should monitor key resistance levels around $96,000, as a breakout could signal the start of a supply-driven rally. Conversely, if selling pressure from entities like Grayscale persists, support at $92,000 could be tested, as seen in BTC/USDT pair movements on Kraken, which dipped to $92,150 at 3:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025. On-chain metrics from CryptoQuant reveal a 1.5% decrease in exchange reserves over the past 48 hours as of 8:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, indicating that Bitcoin is being moved to cold storage, potentially reducing selling pressure. For trading opportunities, consider positioning for volatility around upcoming economic data releases or ETF flow reports, as institutional moves like BlackRock’s often correlate with broader market sentiment shifts. Scalping opportunities in BTC/ETH pairs on Coinbase showed a 0.5% divergence at 9:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, suggesting short-term arbitrage plays. Traders must remain cautious of sudden dumps from other selling institutions, as Grayscale’s outflows have historically impacted market depth.
Technical indicators further underscore the nuanced market dynamics following BlackRock’s purchase on May 5, 2025. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for BTC/USD on Binance hovered at 54 as of 11:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, indicating neither overbought nor oversold conditions, per TradingView data. The 50-day Moving Average (MA) stood at $93,200, with Bitcoin trading just above at $94,821, suggesting mild bullish momentum. Volume analysis reveals a 12% spike in 24-hour trading volume on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase, reaching $28.3 billion as of 10:00 AM UTC on May 6, 2025, according to CoinGecko. This uptick aligns with increased spot trading activity post-news, though futures open interest on Deribit remained relatively flat at $19.2 billion during the same period. On-chain transaction volume, as reported by Glassnode, surged by 8% to 320,000 BTC moved on May 5, 2025, reflecting heightened network activity likely tied to institutional transfers. For traders, the Bollinger Bands on the 4-hour chart tightened around $94,500, hinting at an impending volatility breakout as of 12:00 PM UTC on May 6, 2025. Keeping an eye on whale wallet movements via Whale Alert could provide early signals of further institutional buying or selling, especially as supply dynamics shift.
While this event does not directly tie to AI-driven crypto markets, it’s worth noting that institutional activity often influences sentiment across correlated assets, including AI tokens like NEAR or FET. As of May 6, 2025, NEAR/USD on Binance saw a 1.2% increase to $7.85 at 10:00 AM UTC, potentially riding broader market optimism. Correlation data from CoinMetrics shows a 0.7 correlation coefficient between BTC and AI token baskets over the past 30 days, suggesting mild but notable linkage. Traders exploring AI crypto opportunities should watch for volume spikes in these tokens if Bitcoin’s institutional narrative strengthens further.
institutional crypto trading
BlackRock BTC purchase
OTC Bitcoin trading
Bitcoin supply crunch
Grayscale sell
Fidelity sell
Bitwise sell
Cas Abbé
@cas_abbeBinance COY 2024 winner and Web3 Growth Manager, combining trading expertise with a vast network of 1000+ crypto KOLs.