Anon Wallet Nets $192M Bitcoin Short Before US Tariff Crash
An anonymous wallet (0xb317) on Hyperliquid executed a $208 million cross-margin Bitcoin short with 20× leverage at around $116,800 just before a surprise US tariff announcement. The subsequent price drop netted the trader $192 million in on-chain profits and triggered over $1.23 billion in liquidations across 6,300 accounts. Days later, the wallet opened another $163 million short at 10× leverage near $117,369. These high-leverage Bitcoin short trades expose the fragility of auto-deleveraging mechanisms under extreme market volatility and fuel concerns about insider knowledge and market manipulation. Traders should note the risks of policy-driven market swings and the need for greater transparency on DeFi platforms.
Bearish
Large-scale Bitcoin short positions and massive liquidations signal strong downward pressure on BTC prices. The event underscores how policy announcements can trigger sudden volatility and cascade into forced liquidations, reinforcing bearish sentiment. In the short term, traders may reduce long exposure and increase hedging against similar macro risks. Over the long run, increased calls for transparency and tighter DeFi oversight could dampen extreme leverage, potentially stabilizing the market but maintaining cautious sentiment.