TLDR
- A whale trader nicknamed the “Trump Insider Whale” has increased their Bitcoin short position to $340 million despite the recent market rebound.
- The same whale made $200 million in profits last week by shorting $700 million in BTC and $350 million in ETH just 30 minutes before Trump announced 100% tariffs on China.
- Bitcoin crashed to $104,000 on Friday after the tariff announcement but has since recovered to around $113,000.
- The timing of the whale’s trades has led to speculation about possible insider information, though this remains unconfirmed.
- China stated it is ready to “fight to the end” in a trade war with the U.S., while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed ongoing talks between the two nations.
Bitcoin has fallen back to $113,000 as a major whale trader increases their short position despite recent market recovery. The trader, known as the “Trump Insider Whale,” now holds a $340 million short position on Bitcoin.
This is the same whale that made headlines last week for perfectly timing a massive short position. The trader placed a $700 million Bitcoin short and a $350 million Ethereum short just 30 minutes before President Trump announced 100% tariffs on China. That trade resulted in $200 million in profits.
Bitcoin crashed to as low as $104,000 on Friday following the tariff announcement. The drop erased about $500 billion from the total crypto market value. The world’s largest cryptocurrency had reached a record high of $126,000 just days before the crash.
BREAKING: TRUMP INSIDER WHALE IS NOW SHORT $340M $BTC
The HyperUnit Bear Whale who shorted $700M of $BTC and $350M of $ETH right before Friday’s market crash (making ~$200M total) just deposited $40M USDC to HL and shorted another $127M $BTC.
He is now short $300M $BTC and has… pic.twitter.com/b2rpzmkofZ
— Arkham (@arkham) October 13, 2025
The market briefly recovered on Monday. Bitcoin climbed to $115,000 after Trump suggested the situation with China “will all be fine.” However, the recovery proved short-lived as tensions between the two countries continued.
China responded on Tuesday by stating it was ready to “fight to the end” in a trade war with Washington. Beijing also accused the U.S. of discriminatory practices. The dispute centers on China’s export controls on rare earth materials.
Current Whale Position Details
According to data from HypurrScan, the Trump Insider Whale currently has an unrealized profit of nearly $4 million on their position. The whale’s entry price was $116,000, with a liquidation price set at $130,000.
The timing and size of the whale’s trades have raised questions. Some market observers speculate the trader may have access to insider information. However, crypto analyst Egrag Crypto noted that if no announcement comes soon, the whale may simply be speculating on price action.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that talks are ongoing between the U.S. and China. These discussions aim to prevent a full-scale trade war. Market participants appear skeptical that the 100% tariff will actually take effect.
Polymarket data shows only a 13% chance the China tariffs will go into effect by November 1. That is the date Trump originally announced as the start date for the tariffs.
Broader Market Impact
The broader cryptocurrency market remains under pressure. Ethereum fell to as low as $3,400 over the weekend and currently trades around $4,116. XRP dropped below $3.00, while other major cryptocurrencies show mixed performance.
📈#Bitcoin LTF game plan 📈
After all my lower targets got hit in the space of a few hrs, I don't think it will be just straight to new ATH's, there will be some more sideways chop in a rather big range before the markets make the next decision of up or down.
I do fear a longer… https://t.co/K0K0kCU41D pic.twitter.com/t91WZwXsrl
— AlphaBTC (@mark_cullen) October 13, 2025
Safe-haven assets like gold have benefited from the uncertainty. Gold hit another record high on Tuesday as investors moved away from riskier assets like cryptocurrencies.
Crypto analyst Egrag Crypto stated that Bitcoin needs to rise above $120,000 to confirm a bullish continuation. The analyst highlighted $117,000 as a critical level that Bitcoin must flip into support. Until Bitcoin closes a full candle above this level, the cryptocurrency remains at risk.
Veteran trader Peter Brandt has stated that the Bitcoin bull run is still “alive” despite the recent crash. However, the increasing short position from the Trump Insider Whale suggests at least one major trader expects further downside.
China confirmed that working-level talks with Washington are ongoing but warned against additional trade tariffs.
