HYPE Under Pressure: Whale Movements and Technical Resistance Signal Caution

Hyperliquid ($HYPE) is currently navigating a period of increased sell-side risk and technical fragility. While the ecosystem has seen aggressive deflationary efforts, recent whale activity and a stubborn bearish price structure have left traders on edge as we move through early 2026.

Whale Activity: Tactical Distribution or Market Testing?

Focus has shifted to high-value transfers involving Fasanara Capital. A wallet linked to the firm recently moved 25,000 HYPE (approx. $667,700) to Bybit. While the wallet still retains a massive stash of roughly 575,000 HYPE ($15.4M) off-exchange, even small deposits into trading platforms signal a potential intent to sell. Market participants are now debating whether this move is a test of market depth or the beginning of a larger tactical distribution.

Technical Hurdles: The Descending Channel

On the daily chart, $HYPE remains trapped within a persistent descending channel that has defined its price action since late 2025.

• Support Zone: Buyers have successfully defended the $22–$24 range, sparking temporary relief rallies.
• Resistance Ceiling: Momentum consistently stalls near the $28–$30 region, where previous support has now flipped into a formidable resistance barrier.
• Indicator Signals: The RSI is hovering in the high-40s, suggesting the market is in a state of equilibrium rather than preparing for a bullish reversal.

Derivatives and Sentiment Shift

The derivatives market reflects a cautious, slightly bearish bias. Short positions now hold a 52% edge over longs, though the lack of "crowded" positioning suggests the market isn't in a state of panic. However, a "grinding decline" remains the primary concern:

• Liquidation Imbalance: Long liquidations have recently reached over $550k, compared to negligible short liquidations, showing that downward moves are effectively flushing out leveraged buyers.
• Funding Risk: Funding remains positive (+0.0148%), which in a downtrend can be a warning sign. It indicates that "longs" are paying to keep their positions open despite price weakness, creating a "liquidation trap" if selling pressure accelerates.

Strategic Summary

$HYPE is at a crossroads. While the Hyper Foundation’s massive token burns and institutional interest from firms like Maven 11 and a16z provide a long-term floor, the immediate outlook is capped by exchange inflows and technical resistance. Unless $HYPE can decisively break out of its current channel, rallies will likely remain corrective, keeping the token in a controlled, range-bound decline.

January 2026, Cryptoniteuae