"Whale's Timed Bet: $6.8M Bitcoin Profit in Hours Before Trump's Crypto Announcement"
1min read A cryptocurrency trader, dubbed a "whale," has sparked controversy and speculation after executing a highly leveraged trade on Bitcoin [BTC] and Ethereum [ETH] just hours before former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed their inclusion in the U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve. The trader's perfectly timed bet resulted in over $6.8 million in profit within a day.
On March 1st, the whale deposited $5.9 million in USDC into Hyperliquid, preparing for high-risk leveraged positions. They opened Bitcoin long positions at $85,908 and Ethereum long positions at $2,197 with 50x leverage. On March 2nd, the trader placed their first Ethereum long position at 2:49 PM UTC, and 35 minutes later, Trump announced Bitcoin and Ethereum's inclusion in the U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve.
The announcement triggered a market rally that pushed Bitcoin past $94,000 and Ethereum significantly higher. The trader capitalized on this rally by closing Bitcoin positions between $87,332 and $91,399 for substantial profits. By March 3rd, most of the whale's positions were closed, resulting in realized profits exceeding $6.8 million.
The precision of the trade's timing has raised concerns within the crypto community about whether the trader had advance knowledge of the policy announcement. Analysts at The Kobeissi Letter pointed out the suspicious timing in a widely shared post, questioning if someone knew about the upcoming announcement. Veteran trader Tyrion Trades acknowledged the concerns but suggested that blockchain transparency is making insider trading harder to conceal.
The broader crypto market added over $300 billion in market cap within hours of the announcement. This isn't the first time Trump has influenced cryptocurrency markets, but his recent pivot toward supporting an America-first crypto reserve marks a significant shift in tone. Eric Trump also fueled speculation days before the announcement when he posted "Buy the dips," referring to recent crypto market declines.
The whale's well-timed trade has reignited discussions about insider trading in crypto. While the blockchain ensures all transactions are publicly traceable, real-time access to market-moving information still gives select traders an unfair advantage. The situation surrounding the suspicious Bitcoin trade and Trump's statement raises critical questions about the possibility of the trader having prior knowledge of the 