Whale with high leverage long ARC and suffer a loss of $8.2 million, DeFi perpetual contract liquidity risk reappears

BTC drops 0.45% in 15 minutes: Whale concentrated transfers into exchanges stack up sell pressure while leverage withdrawals amplify the pullback

From 17:00 to 17:15 (UTC) on 2026-04-17, BTC saw a brief drop. The return rate recorded was -0.45%, with the price ranging from 77354.3 to 77916.9 USDT and a swing of 0.72%. During the event, market attention warmed up, volatility intensified, and spot market liquidity changed significantly. The main driver of this price anomaly was that whale wallets concentrated transfers to exchanges. In a single 15-minute period, the exchange inflow surged to 11,000 BTC, reaching a new high since December 2025. The average amount deposited per transaction was as high as 2.25 BTC, indicating that large holders chose key price levels to concentrate and release their positions, clearly lifting sell pressure. At the same time, BTC futures open interest fell to a 14-month low of $841 million, as leverage funds exited sharply. The spot market’s pull on price fluctuations became the main factor, further magnifying the impact of whale trading. In addition, although ETF funds had a net inflow with a hedging effect—bringing the April cumulative inflow to $5.651 billion—within this anomaly window they were not able to fully absorb large sell orders. The spot market mainly relied on institutional buying to digest the selling pressure, and overall risk appetite contracted. On-chain data shows that 41% of the BTC supply is in a loss-making range, and some holders who bought at lower prices face take-profit and stop-loss pressure. With multiple factors converging, short-term tension formed among exchange inflows, leverage withdrawal, profit realization, and institutions’ ability to absorb, increasing the magnitude of spot volatility. Short-term risks are worth watching closely. Users should closely monitor core indicators such as the subsequent exchange inflow volume, the pace of ETF net inflows, and futures open interest. If whale sell orders still have not eased and ETF inflows cannot accelerate in step, the BTC price may remain under sustained pressure. Users should focus on on-chain transfers and changes in major holders’ positions, watch the spot market’s key support ranges and trading structure, obtain more market information in a timely manner, and stay alert to risks brought by sharp volatility.

TradFi Rise Alert: MSTR (Microstrategy Inc - Class A) Rises Over 14%

Gate News: According to the latest Gate TradFi data, MSTR (Microstrategy Inc - Class A) has surged by 14% in a short period. Current volatility is significantly higher than recent averages, indicating increased market

Top 100 Crypto Gainers and Losers: AERO Surges 19.20%, SIREN Plummets 40.34%

On April 17, CoinMarketCap data indicated mixed performance among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, with Aerodrome Finance leading gains at 19.20%, while Siren experienced the largest loss at 40.34%.

Elon Musk References Fuel Trading Surge in 'Asteroid' Crypto Token

Elon Musk's online activity revived interest in a cryptocurrency token known as "Asteroid crypto," causing increased trading and volatility on decentralized exchanges. Market reactions were driven by social media references, illustrating the token's sensitivity to influencer attention.

BTC rises 0.69% over 15 minutes: spot buy-side strength and sustained whale accumulation on-chain reinforce the move

From 14:30 to 14:45 (UTC) on 2026-04-17, the Bitcoin (BTC) market saw clear signs of abnormal movement. The 15-minute candlestick return reached +0.69%, with the price ranging from 77455.4 to 78044.4 USDT and an amplitude of 0.76%. Short-term fluctuations increased market attention, trading volume expanded in parallel, and liquidity improved further. The main driver behind this abnormal move was a clear strengthening of spot-market buy-side demand. According to on-chain and statistical data, from 14:00 to 15:00, BTC spot buys had the upper hand. Massive buy orders continued to push the price higher, while whale addresses (≥10,000 BTC holdings) were actively net-buying during this period. The inflow of large on-chain funds directly drove spot prices higher. In addition, CME Bitcoin futures open interest increased by 70%, yet there was no large-scale liquidation or forced selling, indicating that institutional capital was returning in an orderly manner and that futures leverage did not become the dominant source of pressure. The leading force behind this upswing came from the spot market, and any wait-and-see sentiment caused by shrinking ETF flows did not suppress short-term prices. Meanwhile, on-chain data shows that network activity has continued to rise, and the distribution of holdings is becoming more concentrated. In the short term, the coordinated effect of whales and newly onboarded users amplified price elasticity. Benefiting from an increase in macro risk appetite in mid-April—along with dovish signals from the Bank of Japan coinciding with easing geopolitical tensions—BTC’s attractiveness as a risk asset improved, and investors’ risk appetite strengthened. In addition, although ETF net inflows fell to $4.2 million, there were no large outflows, providing bottom support for spot. Multiple factors converged to drive BTC’s short-term rebound within the 15-minute window. It is worth noting that the SOPR data for short-term holders shows that some short-term capital is currently trading at a loss; if the price pulls back, there may be a risk of additional downside. Changes in institutional capital driven by shrinking ETF flows are also a potential trigger for volatility. The return of leveraged funds to the futures market is also worth watching. Investors should closely monitor key support levels, the movements of actively circulating on-chain funds, and changes in macro news, so they can grasp the market’s timing and stay up to date with more real-time market information.