While there was a sharp decline in the cryptocurrency market after US President Donald Trump’s 100% tariff announcement on China, a huge short position opened minutes before this decline attracted attention.
Unproven claims circulating on social media that this transaction, which generated approximately $80 million in profit in the market, might belong to Trump’s younger son, Barron Trump, have sparked controversy.
According to crypto analytics platforms, a large Bitcoin short position opened on the Hyperliquid exchange between October 9-11, 2025, was activated just before Trump’s tariff announcement. The transaction’s profit is estimated to be approximately $78-$88 million. This situation has sparked allegations of “insider trading” in the markets.
Meanwhile, Forbes and other sources have suggested that Barron Trump has earned approximately $80 million from crypto investments through his family’s World Liberty Financial project. While these earnings allegedly bring Barron’s total wealth to $150 million, there is no official confirmation or direct evidence.
A direct link between the two events has not been established, but the similarity in timing has fueled speculation in the crypto community that it may be related to Barron Trump’s Bitcoin short position.
However, some researchers suggest that the whale that opened a short position before Trump’s announcement belonged to controversial Chinese investor Garrett Jin. Jin recently stated that the funds belonged to one of his clients. He also claimed to have no inside information.
*This is not investment advice.