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Crypto Whales’ Leveraged Bets and Spot Moves Shake Markets After Trump’s Tariff Announcement
Crypto Whales – The crypto market witnessed a whirlwind weekend as whales—large investors—reacted swiftly following Donald Trump’s tariff announcements that triggered a dramatic crash and a subsequent sharp rebound. The high volatility unleashed a frenzy of leveraged bets and spot market adjustments, highlighting the aggressive risk appetite dominating today’s trading landscape.
Leveraged Bets and Massive Moves
According to on-chain data from Lookonchain, a prominent advisor to World Liberty Financial fueled the action by depositing 1 million USDC into Hyperliquid, opening a 20x long position on 125.7 Bitcoin, worth around $14.3 million. Capitalizing on the rebound, the same trader later initiated a 3x long on 850,000 ASTER tokens, valued at roughly $1.25 million.
Meanwhile, another Bitcoin whale cashed in spectacularly, closing 90% of his BTC short and fully exiting an ETH short, pocketing an estimated $190–$200 million in a single day. The whale later re-entered with a $161 million short on 1,423 BTC, currently sitting on an unrealized profit exceeding $3 million.
High-Stakes Volatility and Recovery
Not all whales fared well. Wallet 0xb9fe faced a harsh liquidation, losing about $2 million during the sell-off. Undeterred, the trader returned with 9.5 million USDC, opening a 25x long position on 18,960 ETH (around $72.7 million), turning losses into gains as ETH bounced back above $4,000.
Other significant players included wallet 0x728, building long positions in ETH and Solana (SOL) with a floating profit near $1.56 million, and 0xe9d, who took profits cautiously, closing a BTC long for $265,000 overnight. A notably patient trader, wallet 0x5D2F, reversed a $27 million BTC short loss during the crash but saw profits slip back amid the rebound.
Spot Market Surge and Institutional Moves
Spot market activity surged as well, with a whale transferring 15,010 ETH (approx. $57.3 million) to exchanges, eyeing a potential profit of $11.87 million upon liquidation. Notably, a group of hackers panic-sold 8,638 ETH at a loss, only to rebuy at higher prices, illustrating costly market timing mistakes.
Adding to the weekend drama, a long-dormant Bitcoin OG whale moved 300 BTC (~$33.47 million) to Binance, marking the first Bitcoin sale after years of holding.
Weekend Volatility Reveals Divergent Whale Strategies
The turbulent weekend showcased a stark contrast in strategies among major crypto holders. While some whales locked in massive profits, others seized the dip to re-accumulate, underscoring the relentless dynamism and high stakes of today’s crypto trading environment.
