Satoshi-Era ‘Tariff Whale’ Faces Liquidation Cliff on $100M Trade

The Satoshi-era whale who netted over $100 million shorting the market before Donald Trump’s October tariff announcement is now facing an existential liquidation threat. According to new on-chain data reported by Arkham Intelligence, the trader’s profit cushion is evaporating as fresh geopolitical tensions over Greenland roil the market.

The October Windfall

This wallet first drew global attention in October 2025, executing a prescient $1.1 billion short on Bitcoin and Ethereum just 30 minutes before Trump announced 100% tariffs. The trade, which banked an estimated $190 million to $200 million, was built on high-conviction leverage:

• Bitcoin Position: 10x Short on 6,189 BTC (Liquidation: $130,810)
• Ethereum Position: 12x Short on 81,203 ETH (Liquidation: $4,589)

The Greenland Squeeze

While the whale’s liquidation prices ($130k BTC / $4.5k ETH) appear safe relative to current prices (BTC ~$91,600, ETH ~$3,100), the portfolio is flashing distress signals. Reports indicate the trader faces a “liquidation cliff” if assets continue to dip. A paradox for a short seller that implies a potential collateral squeeze or an unreported pivot to long positions.

The distress coincides with Trump’s latest threat to impose tariffs on eight EU nations over the Greenland dispute. The announcement triggered a sharp correction, with Bitcoin briefly sliding below $92,000. If the whale is using volatile assets as collateral to maintain these positions, a declining market value reduces their margin health, bringing the liquidation threshold dangerously close despite the directional bet.

The timing and scale of the positions opened… raises suspicion of information asymmetry.

Speculation regarding the wallet’s owner, who has held 86,000 BTC since 2011, continues to circulate, with on-chain sleuths pointing to the perfect timing of the October trade as evidence of potential state-level insider knowledge.