The crypto market saw a surge of whale activity as large investors moved swiftly after Donald Trump’s tariff announcements triggered a market-wide crash and a subsequent rebound.

Investors placed large leveraged bets to capitalize on the volatility. While some secured profits, others lost millions. Many whales also used the conditions to adjust their spot positions, entering or exiting the market amid the turbulence. The surge in activity highlights the high-risk appetite and swift reactions driving today’s market.

Inside the Crypto Whale Trades That Followed Trump’s Tariff Market Meltdown

BeInCrypto previously reported that Trump’s 100% China tariff announcement wiped out billions from the market on Friday. However, prices began to recover by Sunday as the President’s follow-up remarks eased the tariff fears.

Amid this rebound, derivatives trading surged. Several whales adjusted their positions to seize opportunities in the shifting market.

According to on-chain data shared by Lookonchain, an advisor to World Liberty Financial deposited 1 million USDC into Hyperliquid. The trader opened a 20x long position on 125.7 Bitcoin, valued at around $14.3 million.

Following the market rebound, the same trader opened another position — a 3x long on 850,000 ASTER, worth roughly $1.25 million.

“Unfortunately, @worldlibertyfi advisor ogle didn’t escape the crash either — his previous wallet was completely wiped out, losing over $2.47 million! He then switched to another wallet and went long on BTC 5 hours before the rebound,” Lookomchain added.

Meanwhile, another major Bitcoin whale closed 90% of his Bitcoin short and fully exited his Ethereum (ETH) short, earning an estimated $190–$200 million profit in a single day. Not long after, he reshorted 1,423 BTC worth roughly $161 million. Hypurrscan data showed that the trader is currently sitting at an unrealized profit of over $3 million on this position.

The trader behind wallet 0xb9fe experienced the other side of the volatility. During the sell-off, he was completely liquidated and lost around $2 million.

Yet only hours later, he returned with 9.5 million USDC and opened a 25x long position on 18,960 ETH  worth around $72.7 million.

“ETH just bounced back above $4,000! Whale 0xb9fe’s bet paid off — not only did he recover his losses from the crash, he’s now up $3.6M in profit!” Lookonchain highlighted.

An on-chain analyst spotlighted two more notable traders who also made moves during the rebound. Address 0x728 built long positions in ETH and Solana (SOL), with a floating gain of about $1.56 million, still open at press time.

Earlier, the same wallet lost $4.74 million on a failed ETH long. Furthermore, trader 0xe9d took profits more cautiously, closing a BTC long for $265,000 overnight.

Elsewhere, wallet 0x5D2F, which had been holding a losing BTC short for nearly five months, finally saw relief during the crash — flipping a $27 million loss into brief profitability. As prices rebounded, however, the position slipped back into the red, now down roughly $4.8 million.

Beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, a wallet linked to Christopher Heymann, founding partner at 1kx Network, also reentered the market. The address deposited $2 million USDC into Hyperliquid and reopened a 10x leveraged long on ENA. Earlier, the same wallet had deposited $4.22 million but was liquidated during the downturn.

How Crypto Whales Played the BTC and ETH Dip

While derivatives trading got the spotlight, spot market activity was intense as well. On Sunday, an on-chain analyst revealed that a whale or institutional wallet, 0x395, had transferred 15,010 ETH — valued at approximately $57.31 million — to exchanges. Should these funds be liquidated, the holder is expected to secure a profit of about $11.87 million.

In addition, Lookonchain noted that during the crash, a group of hackers reportedly panic-sold 8,638 ETH worth $32.5 million at $3,764, incurring losses of about $5.5 million. After the market rebounded, they bought back 7,816 ETH — again worth roughly $32.5 million — but this time at a higher price of $4,159, a costly case of buying high after selling low.

The market crash also awakened a long-dormant Bitcoin whale. The so-called ‘Bitcoin OG’ deposited 300 BTC worth $33.47 million to Binance.

Historical data indicated that he withdrew 749 BTC worth just $8,151 from Mt. Gox 13 years ago. He moved 159 BTC to a new wallet last year but held off selling until now, marking his first-ever Bitcoin sale.

While some took profits, others bought the dip, including major corporate holders of Bitcoin.

Overall, the weekend’s volatility revealed a sharp divide among major players — with some whales locking in profits while others rushed to reaccumulate.