Ethena’s native token, ENA, saw its price decline as Bitcoin slid below $79,000
The slight dip happened despite ENA notching a 5-week high in whale activity.
Prices could fall further, but a rebound for BTC could boost ENA.
Ethena (ENA) price faced downward pressure today, dropping nearly 4% to intraday lows of $0.11 as Bitcoin grappled with renewed selling amid macroeconomic headwinds.
This decline unfolded even as on-chain metrics signaled robust interest from large holders.
Analysts say the move highlights a disconnect between whale behavior and short-term price action.
Ethena hits 5-week high in whale activity
On-chain data shows Ethena’s ecosystem has managed notable momentum.
For one, the network just hit its largest daily network growth in over three months.
The platform did not just see a surge in new wallet creations, but had ENA whale activity surging to a five-week peak, with this aligning with heightened interest bolstered by several bullish catalysts.
📈 Ethena has just seen its largest day of network growth (new wallets created) in over 3 months. Additionally, $ENA whale activity has just hit a 5-week high. Why? There has been a series of high-impact events that converged in the days leading up to May 12th:
🎯 Grayscale… pic.twitter.com/ZMZf0BZgkN
— Santiment Intelligence (@SantimentData) May 13, 2026
According to Santiment, one of the key drivers was Grayscale’s decision on May 7 to incorporate ENA into its DeFi Fund.
Ethena also recently saw a massive $310 million USDC transfer, a transaction that injected fresh liquidity and drew widespread attention.
Santiment has also highlighted that the spotlight on ENA increased further when LayerZero announced a temporary bridge suspension on May 9, keeping Ethena at the forefront of DeFi discussions.
Adding to the optimism, the Ethena Foundation recently affirmed that all conditions outlined by its Risk Committee for activating the “fee switch” have been satisfied.
This mechanism, designed to distribute protocol fees to stakers, awaits a governance vote from ENA holders in the coming days.
The whale positioning ahead of the pivotal vote helped ENA price pump to highs of $0.14 on May 10.
Why’s ENA price down?
Despite the positive catalysts, ENA’s price succumbed to broader market dynamics.
Both RSI and MACD on the 4-hour chart suggest prices could fall further.
On May 13, crypto sentiment soured following the release of U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) data.
This came in hotter-than-expected and exacerbated fears of persistent inflation and delayed rate cuts.
US stocks slid, and Bitcoin, the crypto sector’s bellwether, tumbled below $79,000 during intraday trading.
Declines meant bulls retreated to levels seen following Tuesday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report.
BTC prices had earlier bounced to above $81,000.
This macro-driven risk-off mood rippled across altcoins, with Ethereum down near $2,250, Solana slipping to $90, and XRP capped under $1.50.
Many DeFi tokens mirrored the weakness, including ENA, which traded from intraday highs of $0.12.
The profit-taking could extend losses to support at $0.10.
While the dip impacts ENA’s short-term outlook, network fundamentals and overall market outlook could position the token for potential recovery.
