Cryptocurrency whales have shown signs of increased accumulation across select cryptocurrencies as the year 2026 starts.

Three projects have caught the eye of the big cats: Shiba Inu continues to lead the meme coin pack, Ripple‘s XRP enjoys regulatory clarity and institutional adoption and a project called Pepeto ($PEPETO), an early stage presale with both the appeal of a meme and the functionality of a utility. Understanding why so much capital is invested in these tokens is important for understanding market dynamics and potential opportunities.

Shiba Inu Proves It Has Staying Power

Shiba Inu is currently trading at $0.0000089 with a market cap of more than $5.26B dollars at the 24rd rank among the largest crypto coins. The token appeared in 2020 as an Ethereum-based competitor of the Dogecoin. The project has now extended to include Shibarium, which is a Layer 2 blockchain that is aimed to decrease cost.

ShibaSwap offers decentralized exchange functionality. On-chain data suggests Ethereum whale wallets have big SHIB positions. Whale accumulation seems to be motivated through established brand recognition, utility development via Shibarium and technical patterns that could accrue gains.

Ripple XRP Benefits from Regulatory Clarity

XRP is trading for about $2.24 and has a market cap of around $136B dollars making it the fourth-largest cryptocurrency. The token is the native asset of the XRP Ledger that is intended for the cross-border transfer of value. Ripple has set up partnerships from financial institutions all around the world.

Recent court decisions have brought regulatory clarity where there was uncertainty before. The XRP Ledger takes 3 to 5 seconds to process transactions at fees of around $0.0002. Whale accumulation is a sign of regulatory clarity eliminating uncertainty, institutional adoption, and exchange balance hitting multi-year lows as holders move tokens to private wallets.

Pepeto Merges Meme Culture and Ecosystem

While SHIB and XRP are established cryptocurrencies with mature market capitalizations, Pepeto is squarely focused on early-stage investors through its presale phase before exchange listings. Built on Ethereum, Pepeto is currently available at a presale price of $0.000000175 per $PEPETO, a level that historically offers the greatest upside potential. The project has already raised more than $7.14M and built a community exceeding 100K members, signaling strong conviction well before public trading begins. Created by one of the original PEPE co-founders, Pepeto is widely viewed as a deliberate evolution of the meme coin model, designed to go beyond hype and deliver what earlier meme coins lacked.

Pepeto is increasingly being watched by whales known for identifying major crypto opportunities early, as the project combines early timing with real infrastructure and well-planned tokenomics. Many analysts already frame Pepeto as a potential 100× story for 2026, driven by innovative features the meme coin market has been missing and expectations of a Tier-1 launch from day one during a strong market cycle. Investors benefit even before launch, as stage-based presale pricing increases with each phase, while staking rewards of up to 216% APY allow participants to earn during the accumulation period.

The ecosystem consists of the following:

• PepetoSwap: a zero-fee trading platform designed to maximize efficiency and attract volume • Pepeto Bridge: enabling seamless cross-chain asset movement • Pepeto Exchange: dedicated meme coin infrastructure, with more than 850 projects already applying for listings, and all trading volume routed through $PEPETO tokens

This structure positions Pepeto as a long-term contender to become the “BNB of meme coins,” with the token powering the entire ecosystem and capturing value from usage. Ambitions to aggregate a significant share of meme coin trading volume by 2030, combined with security audits by SolidProof and Coinsult, further reinforce credibility and execution readiness. Taken together, experienced leadership, whale attention, audited security, early-stage pricing, and real utility, many investors see a realistic path to 100× upside, making Pepeto one of the most compelling early-stage opportunities in the current market.

How to Buy Pepeto

Go to pepeto.io, validating the authentic domain. Connect to the Web3 compatible wallet such as MetaMask. The platform supports ETH, USDT, BNB, or fiat by Web3Payments. Specify your purchase amount to receive $PEPETO at $0.000000175 Participants can immediately stake tokens to receive presale APY. The website has a $700K giveaway on it.

Following Whale Activity as Intelligence

Cryptocurrency whales accumulate assets based on timing and asymmetric return potential. While they continue to hold established tokens like Shiba Inu and XRP for liquidity and long-term positioning, they do not rely on them for rapid portfolio growth, as their mature valuations cap upside.

Instead, whales consistently allocate capital to early-stage opportunities where exponential gains are still possible. Pepeto is increasingly drawing whale attention because it sits before listings and full price discovery, offering a realistic 50× upside scenario. At current presale levels, a $10,000 allocation could grow to $500,000 at 50×, a return profile simply not achievable with mature assets.

For investors tracking whale movements, this highlights a clear pattern: established tokens preserve capital, early-stage projects like Pepeto create it.

Summary

As 2026 begins, cryptocurrency whales are strategically accumulating across Shiba Inu, XRP, and Pepeto, each serving a distinct role in the market. SHIB and XRP provide liquidity, stability, and institutional exposure, but their mature valuations cap upside. Pepeto stands apart as an early-stage presale, combining meme culture with real utility, audited security, and strong pre-launch demand. With whales positioning early and analysts pointing to 50×–100× potential, Pepeto is increasingly viewed as one of the most compelling crypto opportunities before mainstream discovery.

Answer Box

Which crypto are whales buying in 2026?

Cryptocurrency whales are accumulating Shiba Inu, XRP, and Pepeto ($PEPETO) in early 2026. While SHIB and XRP offer stability and liquidity, Pepeto stands out as an early-stage presale with real utility, whale interest, and a realistic 50×–100× upside before exchange listings. This combination makes Pepeto one of the most closely watched opportunities among investors seeking exponential returns.