A ghost from Bitcoin’s past jolts the market, unloading billions in BTC and instantly pivoting into Ethereum. The move erases nearly $400 million in leveraged bets, shakes Bitcoin’s recent rally, and signals a high-stakes rebalancing of crypto’s future.
Key Focus
- Whale-Induced Panic: One entity dumps 24,000 BTC ($2.7B) from long-dormant wallets, crashing Bitcoin from $114,700 to $110,700 and liquidating $390M in longs.
- The Great Rotation: The whale flips into $2.2B of spot Ethereum and $577M in ETH longs—pivoting from digital gold to digital economy.
- Volatility Ahead: With 150,000+ BTC still in reserve (~$17B), traders fear this may be only the first wave.
Flash Crash Fallout
On August 24, an on-chain analysis revealed that an OG whale—whose wallets had been dormant for years—sold 24,000 BTC, valued at roughly $2.7 billion, sparking an immediate market panic. Bitcoin’s value plunged from around $114,700 to $110,700 in minutes, triggering over $390 million in liquidations among leveraged long positions.
One X post summarized the chaos: “JUST IN: A Bitcoin whale sold 24,000 BTC worth over $2.7 billion, causing today’s −$4,000 crash in minutes. They still hold 152,874 BTC worth more than $17 BILLION.”
The Great Rotation
On-chain data shows this wasn’t panic but a calculated swap. LookOnChain and CoinGlass traced the proceeds into Ethereum: $2.2 billion in spot ETH purchases, plus $577 million in long positions—amassing more than 135,000 additional ETH in days.
The trade has traders rethinking the market’s hierarchy. “Dumping BTC for ETH? That’s not just a trade; it’s a statement,” said trader @007ofWallSt. “When the whales move, we follow the liquidity. This isn’t panic selling—it’s strategic repositioning.”
Bitcoin may still dominate as digital gold, but the whale’s conviction points to Ethereum’s potential as the infrastructure of decentralized finance, NFTs, and the wider Web3 economy.
The Specter of Further Volatility
Not everyone is convinced. “The whale that sold 24,000 Bitcoin at market price has most likely read the Sunday report, panicked and decided to sell big,” speculated trader @DrProfitCrypto, noting the entity still holds 150,000 BTC.
That stash now looms over the market. Junaid Dar, CEO of Bitwardinvest, warned: “If more of this hits the market, expect serious volatility. Was this just round one of the dump?”
While Bitcoin has clawed back above $111,000, the overhang keeps traders on edge.
ChainStreet’s Take
A multi-billion-dollar thesis trade unfolded in full view this weekend, shaking the foundations of the market. The whale’s rotation out of Bitcoin—long treated as digital gold—and into Ethereum—the base layer of decentralized finance and Web3—is one of the clearest market signals of the year. It’s a vote for productive assets over static ones, for the digital economy over a digital store of value.
For all the progress toward institutional adoption, the episode exposed how concentrated crypto power remains. A single early player can redraw the market’s lines in hours, repricing assets and wiping out leveraged traders along the way. Beneath the sheen of ETFs and regulated products, crypto still runs on wild-west dynamics.
With more than 150,000 BTC still in reserve, the whale’s next move could decide not just the price of Bitcoin, but crypto’s balance of power itself.
