What Crypto Whales Are Buying and Selling Ahead Of The April US CPI Print

The March Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, a measure of the cost of goods and services, lands today with a hot print expected amid Iran war-driven energy costs. A fragile ceasefire has offered reprieve, but uncertainty lingers. Crypto whales are already positioning. BeInCrypto analysts tracking on-chain whale activity have identified three tokens showing sharp accumulation or selling ahead of the release. Ethereum (ETH) Among the tokens seeing heavy whale accumulation ahead of the April CPI print, Ethereum (ETH) stands out. Its positioning dwarfs all others. Santiment data shows ETH crypto whale wallets surged from 122.93 million to 123.43 million tokens in hours. That 500,000 ETH increase translates to roughly $1.09 billion in fresh buying. Whale Accumulation: Santiment Headline CPI is expected to spike due to a 10.6% month-over-month jump in energy costs. However, core CPI inflation data is forecast at a softer 0.3% month over month. Large holders appear to be betting on that softer undertone sparking a relief rally. BoA on CPI: The March CPI report should show the initial effects of the Iran war. We forecast a 0.9% m/m (0.91% unrounded) increase in headline CPI owing to a 10.6% m/m jump in energy prices. Core CPI, meanwhile, should be softer at 0.3% m/m (0.26% unrounded)While our forecast pic.twitter.com/YrZsJh0BrP Neil Sethi (@neilksethi) April 9, 2026 Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation recently staked roughly 45,000 ETH to generate yield rather than sell. That structural shift reduces ongoing sell-side pressure from a major network entity and reinforces the bullish thesis. The #EthereumFoundation just staked another 45,034 $ETH($93.11M). On the daily chart, ETH is forming a cup-and-handle pattern inside a descending channel. The cup bottomed near $1,938 before curving higher. The handles upper boundary aligns with the channel neckline near $2,270. A single breakout could therefore confirm both structures simultaneously. A daily close above $2,231 would signal early strength. A move through $2,270 followed by a clean reclaim of $2,300 would validate the pattern. That level aligns with the 0.618 Fibonacci level and would confirm renewed momentum. Ethereum Price Analysis: TradingView The projected upside sits near 19.15%, which could push ETH toward $2,706. However, a drop below $2,162 would weaken the setup. The pattern gets fully invalidated with a close under $1,938. Uniswap (UNI) While some crypto whales are loading up ahead of the CPI print, others are trimming DeFi exposure. In contrast to Ethereums $1.09 billion inflow, Uniswap (UNI) has seen consistent whale selling pressure over the past seven days. Nansen data shows UNI whale wallets cut holdings by 2.48% over the past week. The stash now sits at 3.57 million tokens. That amounts to roughly 90,000 UNI sold, worth approximately $283,000 at the current price near $3.14. The selling aligns with broader DeFi profit taking as the sector trades mostly flat in the 7-day timeframe. Large holders appear to be de-risking ahead of a volatile CPI print rather than reacting to any UNI-specific catalyst. Whale Distribution: Nansen The daily chart supports the bearish tone. UNI has been trading inside a bear flag pattern since its March 13 high of $4.21. The flags lower boundary was tested near $3.01. UNI has since rebounded without reclaiming meaningful resistance. The 7-day whale distribution aligns with this bearish structure. If that lower trendline breaks, the projected drop stands at roughly 28%. A daily close below $3.08, the 0.618 Fibonacci level, would start the trigger. Support levels at $2.92 and $2.72 could slow the decline. Yet the measured target sits near $2.20 if buyers fail to step in. UNI Price Analysis:TradingView However, a push above $3.44 would challenge the bearish structure. A move beyond $3.67 would likely invalidate the bear flag entirely. Chainlink (LINK) Chainlink (LINK) rounds out the altcoin whale buying picture with a sudden surge in accumulation over the past few hours. Its oracle infrastructure feeds price data to DeFi protocols, positioning it to benefit from any activity uptick. Santiment data shows LINK whale wallets climbed from 660.02 million to 661.91 million tokens. That 1.89 million LINK pickup translates to approximately $16.93 million in fresh buying. The accumulation mirrors the ETH whale pattern. Large holders appear to see the CPI print as a potential macro catalyst, provided a softer core reading surfaces. Whale Accumulation Before CPI: Santiment On the daily chart, LINK is trading inside an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern. The right shoulder has locked into place, and the neckline sits near $9.43. From the head to the neckline, the measured target implies a 15.40% move higher. That could push LINK toward $10.82, above the psychological $10 mark. A daily reclaim of $9.43 would confirm the breakout. From there, $9.63 and $9.89 serve as the first set of intermediate targets. However, $8.96 acts as the immediate floor. A slip below $8.68 would put the right shoulder under threat. LINK Price Analysis: TradingView Yet the pattern retains its validity as long as LINK holds above $8.19, the head of the formation. Only a daily close below that level would fully invalidate the setup. Despite the macro uncertainty, that gives bulls a relatively wide margin of safety heading into the CPI release.