$18 Million Ethereum Loss Sends Whale Running To Gold

A large crypto wallet that recently took a sharp loss on Ethereum has restructured its holdings, moving away from volatile tokens and increasing exposure to stablecoins and tokenized gold

ETHUSD now trading at $3,136. Chart: TradingView

The broader portfolio now totals close to $91 million. About $58 million sits in USDT, another $18 million is held in USDC, while the remainder is split between XAUT and a reduced Ethereum balance. The composition points to capital protection rather than high-risk positioning.

Metals Outperform Crypto In 2025

Returns from last year help explain the change. Reports have disclosed that Bitcoin fell by 6% in 2025, while Ethereum dropped 11%. Over the same period, gold surged over 60%, and silver rose an even steeper 147%.

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Major stock indexes such as the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq 100 also posted stronger performance than much of the crypto market. With those results in view, some investors appear more comfortable holding assets linked to metals or cash.

Meanwhile, analysts at asset manager VanEck have pointed to 2026 as a possible recovery year for the crypto market. Their view contrasts with the current behavior of large wallets moving into stablecoins and gold-linked tokens.

The divide shows how uncertain sentiment remains after a year when metals and traditional assets delivered stronger gains than major cryptocurrencies.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView