Cardano sees strong rebound as whales accumulate tokens
February 26, 2026
Cardano, represented by the ADA digital asset, is making a significant recovery following a period of decline. A recent surge in price and on-chain data analysis suggests that large-scale investors have been strategically accumulating tokens during this phase of market volatility.
The overall cryptocurrency market has witnessed a renewed level of optimism, triggered by Bitcoin’s resurgence beyond $67,500. This positive momentum has led to increased risk appetite among investors, prompting a resurgence in interest and investments in alternatives like Cardano. With a single-session price spike of approximately 11%, ADA reached $0.29, marking a significant recovery from its recent lows of around $0.24. This rebound comes after a substantial decline from its peak near $0.88 in October 2025.
Transaction data offers a glimpse into the strategic accumulation of ADA during the price downtrend. Despite ADA’s price dropping by more than 71% over six months, a specific group of investors actively increased their holdings. Wallets holding between 100,000 and 100 million ADA acquired over 819 million tokens during this period, translating to around $213 million in investments. This contrarian behavior among notable investors, often referred to as “whales,” is seen as a potential signal indicating a market bottom, as they absorb excess supply from smaller investors, thereby reducing market liquidity.
In addition to the market sentiment and investor activity, Cardano’s ecosystem has received support from recent infrastructure and development advancements. Notably, Binance introduced new ADA cross-margin trading pairs, giving traders more flexibility in managing leveraged positions. Concurrently, Bitstamp announced the inclusion of Cardano on its platform in Singapore, enhancing accessibility for institutional investors in the Asia-Pacific region. These developments have added further strength to ADA’s ecosystem.
The Cardano Foundation’s launch of a new accelerator program has signaled its commitment to fostering innovative blockchain solutions. This program has selected five startups, including Toto Finance and Libertum, focusing on real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects. By supporting commercially viable initiatives, the program aims to drive economic value onto the blockchain and contribute to the ongoing evolution of Cardano’s ecosystem.
Despite the positive market dynamics and recent price surge, ADA faces technical challenges. The asset continues to trade below its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, with the latter around $0.42 serving as a critical resistance level. The sustainability of this rebound and its transition into a positive trend reversal hinge on Bitcoin’s continued recovery and the maintenance of buying pressure for ADA in the foreseeable future.
