Crypto whales are quietly building positions in three altcoins as September ends, according to data from Santiment and Nansen. Large holders have added AAVE, UNI, and MOVR with distinct accumulation patterns across each token. The buying activity comes as whales appear to be preparing for potentially bullish conditions toward the end of 2026, though the success of these positions will largely depend on macro conditions following the November US midterms.
AAVE has seen the clearest accumulation among the three tokens. Wallets holding between 100,000 and 1 million AAVE added roughly 190,000 tokens since September 28, according to Santiment. At current prices, this accumulation is worth around $30 million. Much of the buying occurred while AAVE was rising toward $176, with holdings remaining largely unchanged through the subsequent pullback. The buying activity coincides with Aave reporting that its V4 deployment has passed $400 million in active loans. AAVE now trades near $160, with support around $155 remaining important while $176 is the main level bulls need to reclaim.
Uniswap presents a different accumulation pattern compared to AAVE. Whales have added approximately 1.13 million UNI since September 28, worth roughly $10 million, even as the token fell from $9.66 toward $8.45. This appears to be dip-buying behavior, though whale holdings remain below levels seen earlier this month, indicating the latest accumulation has only recovered part of previous selling pressure. UNI's key level is around $8.45, with holding above this level keeping the rebound intact.
Moonriver represents the most speculative outlier among the three tokens. MOVR surged nearly 80% in 24 hours, while Nansen data showed balances held by the top 100 addresses on one tracked contract rose by more than 11%. This aggressive momentum buying comes with significantly higher risk due to MOVR's relatively small market cap of approximately $22 million, meaning relatively small flows can move the price sharply. The buying activity coincided with cooler-than-expected US inflation data and Fed rate hike odds for October dropping, suggesting whales may be positioning for a potentially bullish cycle toward the end of 2026.
