After earning $228,000 from 275 BTC, why are whales still increasing leverage?

According to the latest news, a whale closed a long position of 275 BTC at 16:05 on January 12, realizing a profit of $228,000. Interestingly, after closing the position, this whale did not choose to wait on the sidelines but immediately shifted to HYPE assets, using 10x leverage to go long on 75,927.87 HYPE at an average entry price of $24.54, currently showing a slight unrealized profit. What does this behavior reflect?

Breakdown of Trading Details

Overview of closing data

The key information from this closing is as follows:

• Closing size: 275 BTC
• Closing time: January 12, 2026, 16:05
• Profit amount: $228,000
• Post-close position: Long 75,927.87 HYPE with 10x leverage, average entry price $24.54

From the data, this whale’s operation on BTC is quite decisive—closing 275 BTC indicates this isn’t a small-scale trade. At the current BTC price of $91,431.18, these 275 BTC are worth approximately $25.4 million. A profit of $228,000 implies a profit rate of about 0.9%.

Whale’s “turnaround” strategy

More noteworthy is the action after closing. Taking profits could have led to a pause or wait-and-see approach, but this whale immediately shifted to HYPE assets with 10x leverage. This suggests:

• The whale may have some reservations about short-term BTC movements
• But remains confident in the overall market opportunities
• The whale perceives better prospects in HYPE

Market Context and Whale Behavior Patterns

Current BTC market environment

According to recent data, BTC’s current price is $91,431.18, with recent performance as follows:

• 1 hour: down 0.36%
• 24 hours: up 0.95%
• 7 days: down 1.23%
• 30 days: up 1.20%

BTC’s market cap is approximately $1.83 trillion, accounting for 58.58% of the total market. In this context, the whale’s decision to close the BTC long position may reflect expectations of a short-term correction.

Comparison with other whale activities

Interestingly, on the same day—January 12—multiple whale events occurred:

These data show that whales are taking profits on BTC but are still actively positioning in other assets. This indicates market participants are cautious on BTC in the short term but optimistic about overall opportunities.

Historical reference

According to related information, data from Bitfinex whale holdings show that the platform’s BTC long position is about 72,000 BTC, while shorts are only 286 BTC. Analysts note this is similar to April last year, when BTC was at the bottom around $74,000. This suggests that Bitfinex whales remain optimistic about the future market.

Deep Insights

Implications of whale behavior

This whale’s operation logic might be:

1. Short-term risk avoidance: Closing BTC longs indicates a view that a correction may be imminent
2. Opportunity shift: After profit-taking, immediately shifting to HYPE long with leverage suggests spotting new opportunities
3. Leverage increase: Using 10x leverage shows high confidence in HYPE

This “profit-taking and shifting” behavior is common in crypto markets, indicating whales are active traders rather than long-term holders.

Micro reflection of market sentiment

From multiple whale closing events, the current market may be in:

• A short-term correction anticipation phase: whales profit from BTC
• A selective positioning phase: whales seek opportunities in other assets
• A sentiment recovery phase: according to related analysis, market panic is gradually easing

Summary

This whale’s actions reveal an interesting market phenomenon: while taking profits on BTC, it hasn’t fully exited but instead shifted to other assets with increased leverage. This shows that whales remain keenly aware of market opportunities but are cautious about short-term BTC movements. Coupled with data indicating Bitfinex whales remain optimistic, the current market may be in a “correction opportunity” stage—short-term volatility possible, but long-term prospects still intact. For investors, understanding this complex market sentiment is key rather than blindly following trends.