What Crypto Whales Are Buying Ahead of the July FOMC Interest Rate Announcement?

The US Federal Reserve meets on July 29–30, and there is a high probability that there will be no rate cuts.

Inflation is still sticky, and jobs are strong, so the Fed’s likely to hold steady for now. But September? That could be a different story.

Crypto whales are already moving, betting that a future rate cut is coming, and they’re not just buying Bitcoin or Ethereum. They’re piling into real-world assets (RWAs) tokens and DeFi infrastructure plays. Here’s what they’re buying, and why.

Ondo (ONDO)

ONDO represents tokenized real-world yields, backed by the US Treasuries, and it has become a magnet for crypto whales preparing for a potential shift in monetary policy.

Over the past 24 hours, ONDO saw a +20.45% spike in crypto whale holdings, while exchange balances dipped just -0.03%. That’s a subtle but telling sign: crypto whales are buying while retail seems to be selling into the recent 4% price drop over the past 7 days.

For token TA and market updates: Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

So why are whales buying into weakness? Because ONDO becomes a natural “buy-the-pause” play. When rates eventually fall, possibly in September, yield-bearing TradFi assets become less attractive, and tokenized alternatives like ONDO gain an edge.

The distribution score is at 4, meaning the top wallets hold the majority of the supply, and there’s little retail in the way of accumulation right now. While price hasn’t surged yet, this slow, quiet positioning tells a story of conviction.

Curve DAO (CRV)

Curve’s token CRV has seen +3.09% crypto whale accumulation in the past 7 days, even as the price climbed +11.2% during the same period.

Unlike ONDO, CRV isn’t flying under the radar; it’s moving. And crypto whales are staying on board. The exchange balance dropped by -0.5%, and the distribution score shows a healthy spread, pointing to ongoing demand from long-term holders, not just speculative traders.

CRV sees major whale attention: Nansen

Curve powers stablecoin swaps and is often considered the core of DeFi. That’s important in an environment where rates are paused, not slashed.

Whales are likely seeing CRV as a positioning play for when DeFi reawakens, especially if September ushers in actual monetary easing. Until then, it’s a hedge: relatively stable, yield-connected, and now whale-backed.

Blockstreet (BLOCK)

BLOCK has seen a massive +13.44% jump in whale holdings in just 24 hours, and the token price is up over 63% in the past 7 days.

Public figures and top wallet holders are adding positions, while smart money appears to have taken early profits. Still, the sharp uptick in distribution score and top 100 wallet activity shows big money entering late but strong.

BLOCK gets whale love: Nansen

Blockstreet is building a compliance-first DeFi platform tied to USD1, a regulated yield-focused stablecoin.

In a “pause but no pivot” macro climate, whales are seeking options that consider both regulation and real-world utility. The modest -0.73% drop in exchange balances shows there’s not a full-blown retail exit; rather, this may be a mid-stage accumulation with further room to run if retail sentiment flips.

Honorary Mention: Keeta (KTA)

KTA, a compliance-first Layer-1 on Base focused on RWA tokenization, has also caught whale attention.

Over the past week, crypto whale holdings grew by +5.31%, while exchange balances dropped by -3.8%, hinting at quiet accumulation as traders pulled tokens off exchanges. Even as public figure holdings dipped, top wallet and smart money metrics moved higher, reflecting selective conviction.

Crypto whales are accumulating KTA: Nansen

The price has surged by +44.6% in the past 7 days, suggesting that some smart capital is already positioning ahead of September. With a balanced distribution score of 23, the ownership spread is healthier, which often supports price stability during volatile periods.