An anonymous cryptocurrency trader on the Hyperliquid decentralized exchange has increased their short position against Bitcoin to nearly $500 million, doubling their bet in just two days after previously profiting $192 million from a recent market crash. The trader, whom the crypto community has dubbed the "insider whale," opened their initial short position less than an hour before President Donald Trump's tariff announcement on Friday, raising questions about potential advance knowledge of market-moving events.
What to Know:
- •The trader now holds a $496 million short position on Bitcoin at 10x leverage with a liquidation price of $124,270, more than tripling their initial $163 million position from Monday.
- •The whale first gained attention two months ago with $11 billion worth of Bitcoin holdings and opened $900 million in shorts on Bitcoin and Ether last week before Friday's market crash.
- •Blockchain investigators have linked the wallet to Garrett Jin, former CEO of defunct exchange BitForex, though Jin claims the funds belong to clients and denies any connection to insider trading.
Trading Pattern Raises Eyebrows
The aggressive expansion of the short position marks the latest move by a trader who has demonstrated unusually precise market timing. Data from Hypurrscan, a Hyperliquid blockchain explorer, shows the position grew from $163 million on Monday to approximately $496 million by Wednesday.
The trader maintains 10x leverage on the position, which would trigger liquidation if Bitcoin reaches $124,270.
The timing of the trader's initial short position has fueled widespread speculation across crypto forums and social media. Market participants noted the position opened less than 60 minutes before Trump announced new tariffs, which subsequently triggered a sell-off across digital asset markets. That prescient timing, combined with the trader's substantial capital deployment, led observers to coin the term "insider whale."
The trader's history extends beyond last week's controversial short. Two months ago, the wallet appeared on researchers' radar screens holding approximately $11 billion in Bitcoin. Last week, before the tariff-induced volatility, the same entity opened $900 million worth of short positions across Bitcoin and Ether.
Identity Questions and Denials
The search for the wallet's owner intensified over the weekend as blockchain investigators attempted to trace transaction patterns and wallet connections. Crypto researcher Eye initially identified Garrett Jin, the former chief executive of BitForex, as the potential trader. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao amplified the theory by reposting Eye's analysis on X, requesting community verification.
However, ZachXBT, another prominent blockchain sleuth, suggested the wallet more likely belongs to associates of Jin rather than Jin himself. The distinction matters in an industry where attribution of trading activity carries both reputational and potential legal implications.
Jin addressed the speculation directly on Sunday through posts on X.
"Thanks for sharing my personal and private information," he wrote in response to Zhao. "To clarify, I have no connection with the Trump family or Donald Trump Jr. — this isn't insider trading."
Twenty minutes later, Jin published a follow-up post attempting to distance himself from the trading activity. "The fund isn't mine — it's my clients'," he stated. "We run nodes and provide in-house insights for them." The explanation suggested Jin's operation serves as an infrastructure provider and research service rather than a proprietary trading desk.
BitForex, the exchange Jin previously led, ceased operations after facing regulatory scrutiny and allegations of mismanagement. The exchange's collapse left some users unable to withdraw funds, though the exact circumstances remain disputed.
Understanding Short Positions and Leverage
A short position represents a bet that an asset's price will decline. Traders borrow the asset, sell it at current market prices, then aim to repurchase it later at lower prices to return to the lender and pocket the difference. On decentralized platforms like Hyperliquid, this process occurs through smart contracts without traditional intermediaries.
Leverage amplifies both potential gains and losses by allowing traders to control positions larger than their actual capital. The whale's 10x leverage means they control a position worth 10 times their collateral.
While this magnifies profits if Bitcoin's price falls, it also means relatively small adverse price movements can trigger liquidation, forcing the position to close at a loss.
The liquidation price of $124,270 represents the threshold at which the trader's collateral would be insufficient to maintain the position. Bitcoin currently trades near $111,770, providing the short seller with a cushion before facing forced closure.
Looking Ahead
The saga highlights ongoing concerns about information asymmetries in cryptocurrency markets, where regulatory oversight remains fragmented and enforcement uneven. Whether the timing of the trader's positions resulted from sophisticated analysis, fortunate coincidence, or advance information remains unresolved. The trader's continued expansion of their short bet suggests conviction that Bitcoin will decline further, though the leveraged nature of the position means the market needs to cooperate or face substantial losses.