TLDR
- An ETH whale transferred 5,170 ETH worth approximately $12.82 million to Tornado Cash on October 13.
- The whale accumulated 5,147 ETH in August at an average price of $1,886.70, securing an estimated $3.056 million paper profit.
- On-chain analyst Ai Yi identified multiple transfers of roughly 100 ETH each into Tornado Cash.
- Ethereum recovered above $2,530 after briefly falling toward $2,404 earlier in the trading session.
- The whale’s intentions remain unknown, with no confirmed evidence linking the transfers to selling or illegal activity.
An ETH whale transferred 5,170 ETH, valued at approximately $12.82 million, to Tornado Cash on October 13, 2026, according to on-chain analyst Ai Yi. The wallet made several transfers rather than one transaction.
The analyst said the address bought 5,147 ETH between August 12 and 13 at an average price of $1,886.70. Ai Yi estimated its paper profit at approximately $3.056 million.
ETH Whale Sends Funds Through Multiple Transfers
Screenshots shared by Ai Yi showed repeated outflows, mostly around 100 ETH each, routed through Tornado Cash. The analyst also referenced an Arkham wallet explorer to document the transactions.
嗯？这位朋友你黑的白的🤨
曾在 08.12-08.13 期间以均价 $1886.7 建仓 5147 ETH 的大户，5 小时前将 5170 枚 $ETH 转入了龙卷风分批“清洗”，价值 1282 万美元，该部分代币已浮盈 305.6 万美元，转入用途未知
钱包地址 https://t.co/WmMJyE6vaB#Bitget… pic.twitter.com/rwz5lRT24Y
— Ai 姨 (@ai_9684xtpa) October 13, 2026
Tornado Cash allows users to obscure the link between deposits and withdrawals. However, the transfers alone cannot establish who controls the wallet or why its funds entered the privacy service.
The activity came as other large holders bought ether. An October 11 report on whale purchases of 166,000 ETH described accumulation across three days, although those transactions involved different wallets.
Separate Tornado Cash Deposits Draw Attention
Earlier reports tracked 4,970 ETH sent into Tornado Cash by an address tied to the Triple-A attack. Security researchers linked that separate movement to a previously reported breach.
Investigators also examined suspicious fund movements associated with hardware wallets sold through reseller CryptoBilis. Their findings concern different addresses, with no reported connection to the latest whale transfer.
An October 12 report on the Ledger reseller investigation said researchers traced some suspected stolen funds into Tornado Cash. Ledger said its own systems had not been compromised.
Those cases involve alleged thefts, while Ai Yi’s report describes an earlier ETH purchase followed by deposits. No evidence presented links the latest wallet to either incident.
Ethereum Price Recovers After Early Decline
Ether fell toward 2,404-2,416 around 04:00 UTC on October 13, before recovering above $2,500. By about 08:40 UTC, ETH traded around $2,530 after a volatile morning.
The recovery followed heavy Ethereum liquidations reported on October 9, when leveraged positions closed during a wider market selloff. Recent outflows from Ether funds also accompanied the market weakness.
