AguilaTrades Loses $32.7 Million in Bitcoin Trading, Shifts to Short Position Whale Activity Surges as Bitcoin Price Volatility Increases Institutional Interest in Digital Assets Remains Strong with $15.1 Billion in 2025

AguilaTrades, a prominent trader, has incurred significant losses in Bitcoin (BTC) trading, totaling $32.7 million. This loss comes after a series of unsuccessful long positions, with the latest setback amounting to $17 million. Following these losses, AguilaTrades shifted to a fully short position, leveraging high margins to attempt a recovery. The trader's account now stands at $4.62 million, with all funds allocated to perpetual contracts and no spot balance or withdrawable funds. The margin usage has surged to 109.79%, far exceeding the available capital, and the leverage stands at 21.96x, pushing the total short exposure to $101.5 million. Despite these efforts, the trader's unrealized loss has reached $1.8 million, resulting in a steep -35.47% return on equity. The 24-hour PnL shows a decline of $8.21 million, with continuous red zones and no winning trades recorded.

Whale activity in the Bitcoin market remains elevated, with large holders increasing their exchange movements during periods of market volatility. The CryptoQuant chart shows a sustained correlation between Bitcoin’s price and whale activity. In 2022, whale ratios peaked near 0.83 as BTC fell below $20,000. By 2023, ratios moderated while Bitcoin rose to $45,000. However, in 2024, renewed spikes occurred, with the ratio hitting 0.85 as Bitcoin surged past $70,000. In 2025, BTC climbed to $101,400, and whale ratios remained volatile, with the latest figure standing at 0.49, indicating moderate but active large-holder exchange activity. This suggests that whale behavior continues to mirror major market movements, with large holders being active during both bullish and bearish market phases.

Despite the volatility and losses experienced by retail traders, institutional interest in digital assets remains strong. Digital asset funds have logged $1.24 billion in inflows over a 10-week period, signaling robust institutional interest. This brings the year-to-date flows to a record $15.1 billion. Bitcoin led the inflows with $1.1 billion, while Ethereum attracted $124 million. Inflows resumed after heavy outflows in early 2025, with the worst being $3 billion in week 10. Recovery started in week 17, confirming renewed institutional confidence. Current fund trends highlight improving sentiment despite trader volatility, indicating that institutions are continuing to invest in digital assets despite the challenges faced by retail traders.