Cardano Re-enters Top 10 After 16% Rally as Large Holders Accumulate

Cardano’s native token ADA surged about 16% on Feb. 26, 2026, pushing the asset back into the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, according to CoinPedia’s coverage of the move ^[1].

On-chain analytics and reporting indicate that large holders have been accumulating during the recent drawdown: Santiment and multiple outlets report that sharks and whales have added roughly 819.4 million ADA — currently valued at about $248 million — over the past six months ^[3][5][6].

Coverage also notes that the accumulation comes after a substantial multi-year decline in Cardano’s price (reports cite a roughly 71% slide), highlighting that accumulation by large addresses has occurred amid an extended downturn ^[2].

CoinPedia’s report linked the price move to both the observed whale accumulation and discussion around the near launch of CME-listed Cardano futures, presenting those items as concurrent market developments rather than definitive causes of the rally ^[1][4].

Taken together, on-chain data and market coverage show significant large-holder accumulation coinciding with ADA’s rebound into the top 10; reporters also point to institutional-product developments as part of the broader market context ^[3][1].