Uniswap Whale Capitulates After 5 Years, Realizes $11.6M Loss

• Uniswap whale offloads 512k UNI tokens after nearly five years of dormancy, realizing $11.65 million loss.

• UNI has dropped nearly 80% from its 2021 peak, declining from $29 to $6.

Uniswap Whale Finally Capitulates After Nearly Half a Decade

A long-term Uniswap whale has surrendered to market pressure after nearly five years, locking in an $11.65 million loss. On Thursday, the whale transferred all 512,440 UNI tokens back to Binance.

The same batch was initially withdrawn from Binance in April 2021, when it was worth $15.28 million at an average purchase price of $29.83.

Today, the entire position is valued at only $3.64 million as UNI continues to trade far below its historical highs. Blockchain analytics platforms, including Arkham and Nansen, verified the transaction.

Five-Year Hold Becomes a 76% Drawdown.

The whale bought near the peak of the 2021e bull cycle and held through multiple market phases. With UNI now down more than eighty percent from its prior highs, the position suffered a severe drawdown.

Community reactions on Twitter or X were divided. Some argued that the sale confirms a broader wave of fatigue in altcoins, while others suggested it was the worst possible time to exit since protocol fees are being activated.

A user on X highlighted that the whale had opportunities to sell during exit liquidity rallies. According to the post, the holder could have exited at ten dollars for around five million dollars, yet chose to hold on before selling close to seven dollars, adding an extra one point five million dollars in losses.

Another independent tracker described the investor as a diamond hands holder who ultimately capitulated after four and a half years. The wallet withdrew the UNI tokens in April 2021 and never touched them again until the recent deposit.

UNI Price Weakness Continues Despite Rising Volume

According to CoinMarketCap, UNI is trading at $6.28, down 13.25% in the last 24 hours. Trading volume rose 20.3% to $632 million, but the increased activity did not support the price. Market capitalization slipped by 13.8% to $3.96 billion.

Market flow data shows a sell volume of 5.87 million, compared with 5.79 million in buy volume, creating a negative delta of 81,450. The imbalance highlights continued selling pressure as major holders offload positions into a declining market.

Capitulation Adds to Concerns Over Altcoin Sentiment

The whale’s move underscores the ongoing struggle for altcoins in the current market cycle. Bitcoin continues to dominate inflows and investor confidence while many large-cap tokens trade significantly below their peak valuations. The UNI capitulation is one of the most notable examples of long-term holders giving up during prolonged weakness.

Whether this signals a broader shift in market sentiment or simply an isolated event remains to be seen. For now, the transfer remains a stark reminder of the risks of holding altcoins through multiple market cycles without an exit strategy.

At the same time, if other whales follow this road, we could see UNI continue to decline. This is because whale sells causes significant pressure on an asset. At the current rate, a slip below $6 looks most likely for UNI.