$358 million whale bets long on mainstream coins, but shorts DASH.

CN
3 hours ago

On January 22, 2026, at 8:00 AM UTC+8, the latest holding structure of the on-chain whale address 0x94d…33814 was disclosed, with a total nominal position size of approximately $358 million, which stands out in the current market environment. This address is heavily long on the three major mainstream assets: ETH, BTC, SOL, while holding the only large short position in DASH, creating a stark contrast. As of the disclosure time, the overall portfolio has an unrealized profit of about $5.52 million, which, while amplifying market attention, may also guide some funds to make more aggressive bets on mainstream coins and the direction of DASH through emotional diffusion and the "signal trading" effect.

$358 Million Position Unveiled: Long Structure and Risk Exposure

● Long Dominance: The whale's current long positions are concentrated in the three major mainstream coins, with 67,425.59 ETH long, yielding an unrealized profit of about $2.34 million, making it the most significant source of profit in the portfolio; 968.1 BTC long and 527,399.75 SOL long, although exact unrealized profits are not disclosed, collectively form the core chips for betting on the "mainstream long trend" given the overall nominal size of $358 million.

● Risk Tolerance: With an overall unrealized profit of about $5.52 million, the address is exposed to directional risks amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, rather than short-term arbitrage positions. The current yield relative to position size is not exaggerated, indicating that this resembles a medium to short-term trend position that can withstand drawdowns and is willing to engage in market fluctuations, rather than an extreme winning situation that has already locked in substantial paper profits and urgently needs to cash out.

● Long Time Window: From the overall position structure, the whale's choice to focus on ETH, BTC, SOL as the main long positions suggests a relatively optimistic judgment on the current cycle, with the time window likely covering the current consolidation phase to the next directional breakout. In a state where unrealized profits are not extreme, there is more motivation to "trade time for space," waiting for the trend to extend rather than easily exiting due to short-term fluctuations.

Whale Long Positions' Patience Amid Bitcoin's Range Fluctuations

● Range Background: According to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin's price is considered to have a "relatively weak structure," oscillating widely between the short-term holder cost basis of about $98,400 and the real market average of about $81,100. This range implies that there is both selling pressure above and support below, and any breakout on either side could trigger a chain liquidation and emotional amplification.

● Long Only Without Hedging: In this environment defined as having a "weak structure," the whale holds only long positions in BTC, with no corresponding short positions on-chain for hedging, which means it clearly accepts the risk of price potentially breaking below the range. This approach reflects a considerable confidence in the medium to long-term trend of BTC, valuing the profit elasticity from future upward breakouts over the cautious profit curve that comes from hedging to reduce volatility.

● Confidence Demonstration Effect: At a time when many traders are wary of the risk of range breakdowns, the existence of large BTC long positions is interpreted by the community as a sample of "patient bulls." For short-term sentiment, such positions are often amplified as signals of "smart money positioning," potentially enhancing some funds' confidence in holding coins near key price levels, even if this confidence is more based on a secondary interpretation of whale behavior rather than fundamental consensus.

The Only DASH Short: A Contrarian Signal of 100,000 Contracts

● Short Position Size: In stark contrast to the mainstream longs, this address holds 107,986.36 DASH shorts, the only short position in its current portfolio, and has recorded an unrealized profit of about $870,000. This short contributes significantly to the overall unrealized profit of $5.52 million, making DASH a unique element of "profiting against the trend" in the portfolio.

● Structural Contrast: While being extremely bullish on ETH, BTC, SOL, the choice to only open a short position in DASH is difficult to view as a simple hedge. A more reasonable understanding is that the whale sees DASH as relatively weaker among the current sector or believes it has significant valuation or liquidity disadvantages compared to mainstream assets, thus hedging not against the overall market but against a marginalized old narrative chain.

● Possible Motivational Hypothesis: From observable external dimensions, one possible trading thought is to leverage the characteristics of DASH's relatively limited liquidity and weakened fundamental narrative, betting on its continued underperformance against mainstream assets in an environment where large funds find it difficult to sustain support. However, it should be clarified that on-chain data cannot directly reveal the whale's true motivations; all interpretations of "bearish on DASH fundamentals" are merely hypotheses based on price structure and liquidity conditions, rather than verifiable facts.

Amplifying Whale Holding Signals: The Self-Reinforcement of Market Sentiment

● Dissemination and "Signal Trading": Large on-chain holdings often spread rapidly through on-chain analysis platforms, KOLs, and trading communities. Once labeled as "whale positioning," they evolve into secondary and tertiary "signal trading." The long and short structure of address 0x94d…33814 was similarly recounted and interpreted on social media after being made public, even being simplified into the slogan "long mainstream, short DASH," further amplifying its emotional influence.

● Structural Bias of Following Funds: The address's long positions are concentrated in ETH, BTC, SOL, while shorts are concentrated in DASH. This extreme structure easily induces following funds to replicate a similar "mainstream heavy + single asset hedge" framework in their allocations. However, for most retail investors and small to medium institutions with far smaller volumes than the whale, such a concentrated betting structure, if misdirected, may lead to disproportionate losses rather than replicating its performance.

● Impact of Liquidation and Position Increase: Given the current overall unrealized profit state, if this address shows significant liquidation or position increase actions in the public eye, it is easily interpreted by the market as a trend confirmation or reversal signal. If DASH shorts are significantly covered, it could trigger sharp short-term fluctuations in a relatively weak order book; if positions in ETH, BTC, SOL continue to increase, it may also amplify buying pressure in localized periods, temporarily pushing up prices and leverage usage, thus sowing the seeds for larger subsequent fluctuations.

Meme and New Contracts Flourish Together: The Whale's "Restraint" and Asset Preference

● New Contract Background: On January 22, UTC+8, Bybit Alpha and Byreal have supported direct trading of the on-chain token PENGUIN, while Binance plans to launch the SKRUSDT perpetual contract on the same day at 6:45 PM, with a maximum leverage of 20 times. These new products provide the market with high-leverage, high-volatility short-term trading opportunities and have become hot topics for speculation in the community.

● Meme Extreme Volatility Contrast: On the same day, the BAGS ecosystem meme coin RALPH surged to a peak market cap of about $59 million, then retraced over 80% within just two hours, showcasing volatility far exceeding that of mainstream coins. The prices of such assets are highly driven by sentiment and liquidity, with short-term surges and drops becoming the norm, requiring high risk management.

● Whale Style Preference: In contrast, the portfolio of address 0x94d…33814 almost lacks such high-volatility meme and new contract varieties, instead focusing funds primarily on the deep liquidity and mature narratives of ETH, BTC, SOL, and the established asset DASH. Even when shorting DASH, the trading target still belongs to a historically longer-standing and relatively clear market structure, indicating that this whale prefers directional trading based on "high liquidity + mature narratives" rather than chasing short-term hotspots for extreme returns.

Trend Following Bulls or Contrarian Prophecies: The Boundaries of Whale Betting

● "Temporarily Correct" Structural Bets: From the current holdings, it can be seen that address 0x94d…33814 has a core structural bet of bullish on mainstream coins, concentrated short on DASH, with longs covering ETH, BTC, SOL, and the only short concentrated in DASH, recording an overall unrealized profit of about $5.52 million on January 22, 2026, with ETH and DASH contributing approximately $2.34 million and $870,000 in paper profits, respectively, providing "temporarily correct" market feedback for its current strategy.

● Observational Value and Investment Boundaries: Large on-chain holdings undoubtedly have high observational value, helping to understand the risk preferences and directional choices of "large funds" in the current cycle. However, it is essential to emphasize that this information does not equate to directly replicable investment advice. Whales possess stronger volatility resistance and capital maneuverability, and their paths are not a "mindless copying" holy grail for ordinary investors but should be viewed as a source of emotional and structural signals for reference.

● Subsequent Key Variables: Looking ahead, the true test surrounding this address lies in three key variables: first, whether DASH's price performance continues to show relative weakness, determining whether the short can convert into long-term excess returns; second, the direction and strength of BTC's breakout either upward or downward, which will directly impact the profit and loss curve of the overall long positions; third, whether on-chain data can capture clear points of position increase or decrease for this address, including DASH short covering, mainstream long position increases or decreases, etc. These changes will become critical signals for the market to reprice the success or failure of its strategy and emotional expectations.

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