A mysterious whale has opened a massive short position against Bitcoin just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump is set to make a key announcement from the White House - sparking widespread speculation across the crypto community.
According to on-chain analytics platform Onchain Lens, the trader deposited $3 million in USDC into the decentralized derivatives exchange HyperLiquid and opened a Bitcoin short position with 40x leverage. This means the whale is betting heavily on a sharp near-term decline in BTC’s price.
A whale deposited $3M $USDC into #HyperLiquid and opened a $BTC short position with 40x leverage.
Previously, the whale shorted $BTC twice and made $3.6M. Overall, the whale has made $8.6M.
Point to Note: President Trump will make an announcement from the White House at 3:00 PM… pic.twitter.com/zNkBYcP4R0
— Onchain Lens (@OnchainLens) October 23, 2025
The same trader reportedly has a successful history of calling market corrections. Onchain data shows that they previously shorted Bitcoin twice, pocketing $3.6 million in total profits. Overall, their trading history has yielded more than $8.6 million in gains, adding to the intrigue surrounding this latest move.
Bitcoin Struggles Around $109,000
At the time of writing, Bitcoin trades at $109,383, showing mild recovery after a volatile week that saw bulls struggle to reclaim control. The RSI indicator sits near 40, signaling that momentum remains weak and the asset is teetering close to neutral-to-bearish territory.
Meanwhile, the MACD continues to show fading buying strength, with a widening negative spread between the signal and MACD lines, hinting that selling pressure could intensify if Bitcoin fails to hold above $108,000.
Market Sees Heavy Liquidations
Data from Coinglass highlights a highly volatile environment, with over $418 million in liquidations across the crypto market in the last 24 hours. Of that, $66.5 million came from Bitcoin positions, with nearly $36.7 million of those being short liquidations – indicating that some traders were caught off guard by sudden price rebounds.
Ethereum, however, dominated liquidation charts with over $127 million, as traders on both sides of the market faced whiplash from erratic price swings.
Timing Raises Questions
What makes the whale’s move particularly notable is its timing. The White House confirmed that President Trump will deliver an announcement at 3:00 PM ET, though the topic remains undisclosed.
💥BREAKING:
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL BE MAKING AN “ANNOUNCEMENT” AT 3:00 PM ET. pic.twitter.com/sko4LLIHTy
— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) October 23, 2025
While it’s unclear whether the announcement will have direct ties to crypto or economic policy, the market is bracing for heightened volatility. The trader’s decision to leverage 40x on a short position suggests confidence in a near-term market downturn.
Caution in the Air
Despite Bitcoin’s resilience above $109,000, the combination of heavy derivatives activity, growing liquidations, and uncertainty over the White House statement has traders on edge. Technical indicators also align with caution – both RSI and MACD point toward weakening bullish momentum.
For now, all eyes remain on Washington and on whether this well-timed whale trade was a calculated hedge – or a signal that something bigger is about to unfold.
