- A crypto whale opened a $163-million short position on Bitcoin with 10x leverage on Hyperliquid
- This is the same trader who earned $192 million from a short trade before Trump's China tariff announcement
- The $163-million short position holds an unrealised profit of $3.5-million and risks liquidation at $125,500
A crypto whale who recently earned an astonishing $192 million from a perfectly timed short trade has reportedly returned to the market — this time placing another massive bearish bet against Bitcoin.
Blockchain data, cited in a Cryptonews report, shows that the trader, identified by the address 0xb317 on decentralised derivatives exchange Hyperliquid, opened a $163 million short position on Bitcoin late Sunday. The position is 10x leveraged, currently sitting on an unrealised profit of $3.5 million, but faces liquidation if Bitcoin rises to $125,500, as per on-chain analysis.
The same trader made headlines last week after opening a nine-figure short position on Bitcoin just 30 minutes before former US President Donald Trump's China tariff announcement. The move triggered a global crypto market crash, earning the trader nearly $192 million in profit within hours, according to the report.
The report further added that the timing of both trades has sparked widespread speculation of insider trading, with many market watchers dubbing the address an “insider whale”.
Following the sell-off last week, on-chain trackers reported that over 250 wallets lost millionaire status on Hyperliquid as a wave of liquidations swept through the platform.
While the crypto whale's massive short position underscores renewed bearish sentiment, not all traders are following suit. Another investor reportedly went long $11 million on Bitcoin with 40x leverage, betting on a rebound amid the volatility.
However, the sharp price swings and lack of regulatory oversight have reignited concerns over market integrity in decentralised trading platforms.
“Crypto people are realising today what it means to have unregulated markets — insider trading, corruption, crime, and zero accountability,” Janis Kluge, a researcher at SWP Berlin told Cryptonews.
Meanwhile, global crypto exchange Binance has faced fresh scrutiny amid rumours that its systems malfunctioned during the market crash. Several traders alleged failed stop-loss orders, token depeggings, and unexpected liquidations during the sell-off.
Binance denied any technical failure, attributing the anomalies to a “display issue” rather than a system malfunction.
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