Key Takeaways
How close is this whale to liquidation?
Bitcoin trades at $103,660 with the whale’s liquidation price at $104,017—just $357 or 0.34% away from triggering one of the largest single-position wipeouts.
Why is this whale’s timing so bad?
The short position fights against strong bullish momentum as Bitcoin rallied 2.34% today from $99,000 lows.
A crypto whale stands on the edge of one of the largest liquidations in crypto history. The trader holds a massive $190 million short position on Bitcoin with liquidation set at $104,017. BTC currently trades at $103,660, leaving just $357 before total loss.
Source: Arkham
Blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence flagged the precarious position today. The whale opened a massive short position on Hyperliquid, betting that Bitcoin would fall.
Instead, BTC rallied 2.34% today and continues climbing toward the liquidation trigger.
Liquidation could strike at any moment
Bitcoin needs to rise just 0.34% more to liquidate the entire position. At current volatility levels, BTC routinely swings hundreds of dollars in minutes. The whale has no room for error.
If liquidation hits, Hyperliquid will automatically close the short by buying $190 million worth of Bitcoin.
That forced buying would spike BTC’s price even higher, potentially triggering a cascade of additional short liquidations across exchanges.
Betting against the trend
The whale’s timing looks disastrous. Bitcoin rallied from approximately $99,000 just days ago and shows strong momentum. The daily chart reveals BTC testing Fibonacci resistance levels near $104,000, exactly where the whale faces elimination.
Source: TradingView
Market positioning data makes the short even riskier. Bitfinex shows 178,260 BTC in shorts versus 64,876 BTC in longs. While shorts dominate, Bitcoin’s price action suggests bulls control the near-term direction.
Historic scale of risk
A $190 million liquidation would rank among the largest single-position wipeouts ever recorded in crypto markets.
The Hyperliquid platform would need to execute massive buy orders instantly, creating violent upward price pressure.
The whale apparently used significant leverage to control such a large position. Even small adverse price movements can be magnified dramatically with leverage, which explains how a $357 price change can threaten nine-figure losses.
Market watches and waits
Crypto traders are monitoring the situation closely. If Bitcoin breaks above $104,017, the liquidation will trigger automatically.
The resulting buy pressure could push BTC toward new local highs, potentially above $105,000.
Alternatively, if the whale survives and Bitcoin reverses lower, the short position could generate massive profits. But survival requires BTC to stop its current rally immediately!
Two possible outcomes
The next few hours will determine the whale’s fate. Either Bitcoin continues its momentum and wipes out $190 million in seconds, or the rally stalls and the short position survives to fight another day.
With just $357 separating success from catastrophe, this represents one of the highest-stakes bets currently live in crypto markets. The outcome could significantly impact Bitcoin’s short-term price action.
