Recently, while reviewing institutional holdings reports, I discovered an interesting phenomenon—several leading institutions are quietly increasing their positions in some obscure high-quality tokens. The key is that their operation rhythm is very deliberate, building positions in batches, quietly absorbing 20% of the circulating supply without any announcement. This kind of operation pattern is not uncommon in the crypto market, but the underlying logic is worth clarifying.

**The "Hidden Deployment" Strategy of Major Players**

Many people think that institutional accumulation involves directly pumping the price and making a big show of buying. Actually, that's not the case. The biggest fear for major players is retail investors following suit, so they usually choose to build positions gradually in obscure sectors or tokens with low trading volume. The routine is as follows: first absorb 5% of the circulating supply, then deliberately suppress the token's price to create panic among retail investors, making them think the market is about to crash, prompting them to sell off their holdings. The institutions then seize the opportunity to continue accumulating. Repeating this process until the chips are accumulated to a sufficient scale, then executing a final surge to realize huge profits.

The recent increase in holdings I observed from an institution is a typical example of this routine. Moreover, it involves the Web3 storage sector. Honestly, this sector has long been overlooked by the market, but it has real application demand supporting it, and many believe 2026 will be its breakout year.

**How to Identify Major Players' Accumulation Trends**

To seize such opportunities, you need to learn a few skills for reading the signs.

First trick: monitor capital flows in obscure sectors. If a long-neglected sector suddenly shows continuous net capital inflows without any corresponding positive news, it’s highly likely that big players are quietly building positions. This is the most obvious signal.

Second trick: observe the rhythm of turnover rate changes. When major players are accumulating, the turnover rate will rise gradually but not explode. Because a sudden surge in trading volume will immediately attract retail attention and disrupt the rhythm. Therefore, a gentle, sustained increase in turnover rate is often more worth warning about.

Third trick: pay attention to the details of order book placements. When major players are building positions, they often place large orders at the ask one to ask three levels, creating a false impression of a decline. But if you are attentive enough, you'll notice these orders are often quickly canceled or even shifted to buy orders. This repeated placing and canceling is a tactic to absorb sell orders.

**Opportunities Behind Information Gaps**

Major players' operations are not something to hide in the dark; they are generally based on publicly available information. The difference is that ordinary retail investors lack the patience and data depth for in-depth analysis. Whoever can identify these signals early from multiple angles—fundamentals, technicals, and capital flows—will have an advantage. Of course, these signals alone are not enough; they must be combined with the sector's application prospects and the strength of the team to make a comprehensive judgment.

Ultimately, although major players' operations in the crypto market seem complex, as long as you understand how to observe capital flows and trading details, you can grasp the underlying logic. The opportunities in 2026 are often hidden in these overlooked obscure corners.