A massive Shiba Inu liquidation event has rocked cryptocurrency markets after an anonymous whale unloaded a staggering 10.76 billion SHIB tokens on Bybit in a single transaction. The sudden move triggered a cascade of automated sell-offs, wiping out millions in value within minutes and leaving retail traders scrambling.
“This wasn’t just a sale – it was a strategic Shiba Inu liquidation designed to maximize impact,” said crypto analyst Mark Taylor of CoinMetrics. “The whale timed this when liquidity was thin, creating an avalanche effect that punished smaller holders.”
The liquidation, valued at approximately $153,337 at the time of the transfer, marks one of the largest SHIB dumps on the exchange in recent months.
The wallet responsible for this massive Shiba Inu liquidation had remained dormant for nearly a year, making today’s transaction all the more surprising.
On-chain data reveals that the whale made two separate transfers: one sizable movement of 10.768 billion SHIB, followed by a smaller deposit of 15 million SHIB.
Whale awakens during Shiba Inu liquidation
According to blockchain explorer Etherscan, the wallet’s last major activity was nearly a year ago when it transferred 1.6 billion SHIB to KuCoin. Prior to that, it had accumulated large sums of SHIB from various Binance hot wallets, including inflows of 12 billion, 178 million, and 198 million tokens.
“This whale was off the radar for almost a year,” noted blockchain analyst Colin Wu on X (formerly Twitter). “This kind of abrupt movement usually signals either profit-taking or the beginning of a new strategy.”
The timing of the Shiba Inu liquidation is notable. At the moment of transfer, SHIB was trading around $0.00001419, consolidating just beneath a strong resistance level of $0.000017. The meme coin is still hovering above its 50-day moving average, which has historically served as a bullish indicator.
“With SHIB price cooling off after hitting recent highs, it’s likely the whale saw this as a prime exit opportunity,” said Ali Martinez, a respected crypto market analyst. “Liquidations of this size don’t happen randomly.”
Market implications of the Shiba Inu liquidation
Large-scale Shiba Inu liquidation events like this often raise red flags among traders and investors. They can trigger cascading effects on price, sentiment, and even algorithmic trading bots programmed to respond to unusual volume spikes.
As of now, SHIB’s price hasn’t tanked drastically, but many are watching closely. The sudden sell-off has injected a sense of uncertainty, particularly as broader meme coin enthusiasm begins to cool after a red-hot first quarter.
Post-liquidation, the wallet holds a meager $213 worth of assets, including tiny amounts of ETH, BNB, and obscure altcoins. The sheer volume and near-total depletion strongly suggest the whale has exited the SHIB position completely rather than simply rebalancing their portfolio.
“This wasn’t portfolio management — this was a clean break,” said James Check, lead analyst at Glassnode. “It could reflect waning confidence in SHIB or a simple case of profit booking at technical resistance.”
What’s next for SHIB while Shiba Inu liquidates?
While the Shiba Inu liquidation might appear ominous, some believe it could actually clear the way for more sustainable growth.
“Whale exits can be healthy for long-term price stability,” added Santiment, an on-chain analytics platform. “It reduces concentrated ownership and potential sell pressure.”
At the time of writing, SHIB remains one of the most watched meme coins, with its vibrant community and frequent development updates keeping it relevant in a volatile crypto landscape.
This high-profile Shiba Inu liquidation is a stark reminder of the influence whales still wield in the crypto ecosystem. As the market reacts to this sudden move, traders and analysts alike are reevaluating their positions — not just on SHIB, but on meme coins as a whole.
Will this liquidation spark a broader trend, or is it just a solitary exit? Either way, the eyes of the crypto world are now fixed firmly on Shiba Inu. The Bit Gazette will continue to observe the market and report as events unfold.