Two long-inactive Ethereum whales resurfaced after six years, moving an eye-popping 135,548 ETH valued at just under $400 million to Bitfinex hours before the crypto market came crashing down. The two wallets have been dormant since January 2019 and became active within hours of each other. Strategy or Coincidence? According to on-chain data shared by Spot on Chain, the two wallets’ holdings were originally worth approximately $20.8 million, but if the owners sold their stash at today’s price, they would secure a staggering 1,817% profit, netting just over $378 million. The first, identified as 0xfdfe…06def3, deposited 77,736 ETH, valued north of $193 million, into Bitfinex 11 hours before the market imploded . The second, 0x693b…98dee8, sent 57,813 ETH an hour later, with the transaction worth around $144.3 million. Both wallets now hold insignificant amounts of crypto following the transfers. However, the big question is whether the movement of funds was strategic or merely coincidental timing because soon after, the crypto market suffered a major downturn, with the price of ETH falling to $2,250 and Bitcoin momentarily dropping below $92,000. Total liquidations have exceeded $2 billion , with around $1.58 billion in long positions wiped out in 24 hours. Trump’s Trade Tariffs Shock Market Market watchers have blamed the implosion on President Donald Trump’s introduction of steep tariff hikes on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports. On Saturday, President Trump imposed a 25% tax increase on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% hike on the Chinese, sparking fears of an escalating trade war. The three nations have unsettled global markets further by imposing counter-tariffs on U.S. exports in retaliation for Trump’s move. According to some, the uncertainty around international trade following the flurry of activities between the four countries likely triggered panic selling across the board. Former Binance China researcher Jinze has warned that these tariffs could be the biggest macroeconomic threat in 2025, impacting both traditional and crypto markets. At the time of this writing, data from CoinGecko showed that ETH had declined 19.9% in the last 24 hours. Its weekly loss reached 22.4%, severely underperforming the broader crypto market, which is down 10.6%. Across 30 days, the drop is just below 30%, while over 12 months, there’s been an 8.8% increase in the token’s price. The post Dormant Ethereum Whales Shift $400M to Bitfinex Before ETH’s 20% Drop appeared first on CryptoPotato .
Crypto Potato
You can visit the page to read the article.
Source: Crypto Potato
Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here is not investment advice – it is provided for informational purposes only. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of BitMaden. Every investment and all trading involves risk, so you should always perform your own research prior to making decisions. We do not recommend investing money you cannot afford to lose.
Binance Pay Partners with xMoney to Expand Cryptocurrency Payment Options
Binance Pay partners with xMoney to offer extensive cryptocurrency payment options. Users can now pay for public services with cryptocurrency through xMoney. Continue Reading: Binance Pay Partners with xMoney to Expand Cryptocurrency Payment Options The post Binance Pay Partners with xMoney to Expand Cryptocurrency Payment Options appeared first on COINTURK NEWS . Crypto Potato
Is Bitcoin headed below $90,000 amid Trump’s tariffs?
Late January and early February 2025 have proven turbulent for both the cryptocurrency and the stock market . China’s novel DeepSeek artificial intelligence ( AI ) model was the first to generate strong headwinds as it marked the entry of a new and powerful competitor to a sector otherwise dominated by American big tech. The other, more recent shock arose ‘on-shore’ as the financial markets reacted swiftly and violently to President Donald Trump’s tariff order that targeted partners and allies with more severe restrictions – 25% on trade with Mexico and Canada – and less severe on countries marked as ‘foreign adversaries – 10% on China. Bitcoin ( BTC ) experienced one of the strongest reactions as it plunged from highs above $105,000 on January 31 to its press time price of $95,759, though it also saw an even lower low earlier on February 3 when it collapsed below $93,000 before retracing from the support zone as buyers stepped in. BTC 1-week price chart. Source: FInbold Why Bitcoin might be headed below $90,000 The $10,000 price drop reignited the question of whether BTC is yet again headed for a collapse under $90,000. Indeed, the swift and violent reaction to the tariffs was primarily initiated by a sudden loss of appetite as the new tariffs constitute a venture into ‘uncharted’ territory for the 21st century. Many economists and experts have added to the concerns as they criticized the opening shots of what may turn into a global trade war as ill-considered and ultimately pointless. The fact that the U.S. is, so far, primarily targeting one long-standing ally and one nation with which it has close links has been especially contentious. Still, as evidenced by the recovery from the lows near $93,000, Bitcoin’s old support levels remain in place . Furthermore, since BTC is not dependent on supply chains that the tariffs might disrupt, there is no direct reason for the cryptocurrency to witness a major plunge, and there is a strong possibility it will, as soon as the contagion gives way, bounce back much like it did following DeepSeek’s emergence. On the other hand, should a loss of appetite for risk persist, Bitcoin’s recovery could prove short-lived, and should it plunge below $90,000, an even greater downturn might be in the cards, as multiple blockchain experts have previously pointed out that there are few decisive support levels within that zone. Finally, despite the initial round of tariffs likely having a somewhat limited effect and despite major institutions like Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) anticipating they would be short-lived , they could have long-lasting consequences as it is doubtful if America’s allies – and adversaries – will approach trade with the superpower in the future in the same way as they have in the last few decades. Why the Monday morning bell might be critical for Bitcoin price Elsewhere, it is likely that Bitcoin’s next move – whether it be a continued downtrend or an upswing – will be decided by the broader state of the financial markets. Both the weekend trading and the extended session generally have lower volume meaning that fewer actors participate in the market and that each individual trade has a greater consequence. Should the regular trading session prove as shocking as the overnight one, BTC might truly be at risk of plunging below $90,000 and possibly even lower. Such a risk would be further compounded if the cryptocurrency loses its press time upward momentum and fails to reclaim the psychologically important $100,000 level by the time the morning bell rings. Featured image via Shutterstock The post Is Bitcoin headed below $90,000 amid Trump’s tariffs? appeared first on Finbold . Crypto Potato