Bitcoin News Today: BTC Short Whale's High-Stakes Move: $1M Collateral vs. $4M Loss on the Line

Whale with 100% Win Rate Adds $1M Collateral to BTC Short Amid $4.07M Loss

A top Bitcoin short position holder on Hyperliquid, dubbed the "100% Win Rate Whale," has added $1 million in USDC collateral to its leveraged short position, raising the liquidation price to $118,409. The move comes as the whale faces an unrealized loss of $4.07 million, with the BTC price currently trading near $108,500. The position, which has been active since March 2025, remains one of the largest short bets on the platform Hyperliquid data.

The whale's strategy underscores a broader divergence in market sentiment. While some traders are aggressively shorting BTC, others are betting on a recovery. For instance, a separate whale (0x960) has opened leveraged long positions in BTC and ETH totaling over $37 million, despite recent volatility (reported on Lookonchain). Meanwhile, a prominent "Bitcoin OG" shorted $234 million worth of BTC via Hyperliquid, securing an unrealized profit of $5.8 million as of October 21, according to a CoinDesk report. This trader, who previously earned $200 million by shorting BTC before President Trump's October 10 tariff announcement, has deepened its bearish stance, per Yahoo Finance.

The BTC price remains in a consolidation phase, fluctuating between $108,000 and $114,000. On-chain analysts note that the market's next move will likely hinge on macroeconomic factors, including Trump's China trade policies and broader risk-on/off dynamics. "The liquidation price of $118,409 for the 100% Win Rate Whale is a critical level to watch," said on-chain analyst Ai Yi. "If BTC breaks above that, the position could face a margin call."

Beyond short positions, the crypto market is abuzz with new developments. River's public sale of River Pts tokens, using a Dutch auction mechanism, has drawn significant attention, with the token surging 40-fold since its token generation event (reported on Lookonchain). Farcaster's Warplet NFTs, minted using Harmonybot on the Base chain, have also driven a 950% rally in the project's CHAOS token within 24 hours (reported on Lookonchain).

Mt. Gox's repayment deadline under its rehabilitation plan has been extended by another year, a move that could delay creditor payouts but may stabilize the exchange's restructuring efforts (reported on Lookonchain). Separately, Binance Alpha's latest XNAP airdrop has generated approximately $39 in value per user, further fueling retail participation in DeFi incentives (reported on Lookonchain).

The 100% Win Rate Whale's actions highlight the precarious balance between leverage and risk. By injecting $1 million in collateral, the trader has extended the position's survival but remains exposed to a $4.07 million loss if BTC rallies to $118,409. "This is a high-stakes game," said Arkham's on-chain analyst, in a BeInCrypto article. "The whale's history of success doesn't guarantee future results in such a volatile market."