Wealthy trader places nine-figure bet hours before Fed minutes

A large crypto trader has opened hundreds of millions of dollars in short positions across Bitcoin, Ether and Solana just hours before the release of closely watched Federal Reserve meeting minutes.

The timing has drawn attention as markets brace for potential volatility tied to U.S. monetary policy signals.

Related: Abundant Mining CEO says Bitcoin price volatility hasn’t slowed mining demand

On Dec. 29, blockchain traders flagged a large leveraged bet against the crypto market just hours before the Federal Reserve is set to release its latest FOMC meeting minutes.

According to data shared by Ted Pillows, a single high-net-worth trader opened short positions totaling more than $269 million across Bitcoin, Ether and Solana.

“A whale has been going short now.
He has opened:

$119,296,000 $BTC short
$106,743,000 $ETH short
$43,102,000 $SOL short”

The combined exposure exceeds $260 million, suggesting the trader is positioning for a sharp move rather than routine hedging.

The trader’s positions were visible on Hyperdash, a platform that tracks on-chain and exchange-linked derivatives activity, showing a fully short-biased portfolio with no long exposure.

The largest position was a Bitcoin short worth roughly $119 million, opened around the $87,500 level. At the time of the snapshot, Bitcoin was trading slightly higher, putting the position temporarily underwater.

The trader also opened a $106 million short on Ether, entered near $2,920, and a $43 million short on Solana, entered around $123. All three positions used leverage, magnifying both potential gains and losses.

Hyperdash data showed the account was using more than 80% of its available margin, signaling an aggressive, high-conviction trade rather than a hedge.

Such large, directional bets from so-called “whales” often draw attention because they can reflect expectations around major macro events, in this case, the release of Federal Reserve policy minutes that traders believe could shift market sentiment.

The Federal Reserve is set to release minutes from its latest Federal Open Market Committee meeting at 2:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 30, a key macro event for risk assets.

While the Fed does not set crypto policy, its interest-rate outlook has become one of the most important drivers of digital asset prices.

Higher rates tend to drain liquidity from markets and strengthen the U.S. dollar, which has historically pressured Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Softer or more “dovish” language, by contrast, can boost risk appetite across equities and crypto.

Historically, FOMC events trigger volatility in Bitcoin as traders react to changes in rate expectations and dollar strength. Not to mention, thin holiday liquidity could further amplify price moves following the release.

With U.S. equity markets heading into a holiday closure, crypto markets may see exaggerated reactions to even small shifts in tone.

The whale’s large short positioning suggests at least one major trader believes downside risk outweighs upside heading into the Fed release.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading near $87,900, Ether around $2,980, and Solana close to $124.60, with all three assets largely range-bound as traders awaited the release of the Fed’s FOMC minutes.

Related: Standard Chartered predicts 330% price surge for XRP

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the MARKETS section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.