Anti-CZ Whale Scores Nearly $100M On ASTER And Altcoin Shorts As Market Sells Off

Aster has come under heavy selling pressure after an abrupt price spike triggered by Changpeng Zhao’s comment on Sunday, in which the Binance founder publicly stated he bought ASTER with his personal funds. The comment initially sent the token sharply higher as traders reacted to the endorsement, but the rally was short-lived. As broader market weakness intensified and Bitcoin and Ethereum led a widespread downturn, ASTER retraced aggressively, erasing most of its post-announcement gains.

The reversal has fueled speculation that speculative flows are unwinding just as risk appetite evaporates across crypto. Major assets are under pressure, with BTC losing key support zones and ETH sliding alongside broader altcoins, creating a challenging environment for any token attempting to sustain upside momentum.

At the same time, on-chain data from Lookonchain reveals a striking development: the Anti-CZ Whale — a trader who aggressively shorted ASTER immediately after CZ’s post — is now sitting on over $21 million in unrealized profit across two wallets.

The whale continued adding to their position as retail excitement peaked, and with the price now sharply lower, the trade is paying off dramatically. The dynamic underscores elevated volatility and uncertainty, reinforcing that market sentiment remains fragile despite isolated bullish triggers.

According to Lookonchain, the Anti-CZ Whale’s aggressive positioning extends far beyond Aster. The same trader who built a large ASTER short immediately after Changpeng Zhao’s post is also shorting DOGE, ETH, XRP, and PEPE — and every single position is currently in profit.

On Hyperliquid, his combined unrealized gains now sit close to $100 million, making this one of the cycle’s most profitable orchestrated short campaigns. The scale and accuracy of these trades highlight a sophisticated strategy targeting momentum shifts across major assets, not just isolated tokens reacting to social sentiment.

This development arrives at a fragile moment for the broader crypto market. Bitcoin has broken below key support zones, Ethereum continues to slide, and altcoins are selling off aggressively as liquidity withdraws and sentiment turns defensive. In this environment, leveraged traders and forced sellers are adding fuel to downside volatility, creating an environment where outsized short positions can thrive.

The whale’s gains underscore the market’s critical phase — a period where speculative excess is being flushed out and only disciplined positioning is rewarded. Whether this marks the prelude to a deeper capitulation or the final shakeout before recovery will depend on how quickly market demand returns to absorb selling pressure.

Aster continues to trade under heavy pressure, and the 8-hour chart reinforces a clear bearish structure despite brief spikes in volatility. Following CZ’s comment and the initial price reaction, ASTER saw a sharp spike higher, but that move quickly faded as sellers regained control. The token failed to break above the short-term moving average trend line, signaling that momentum remains firmly to the downside.

The rejection near the $1.20 region and the subsequent selloff back toward the $0.90 zone highlight how fragile bullish attempts currently are. Every bounce is being met with distribution, suggesting that short-term participants are using strength to exit rather than accumulate. Volume also confirms this narrative — the strongest bars appear on red candles, showing aggressive selling dominance.

The price is now hovering just above a key support area formed in late September. Losing this level could open the door for a deeper retrace toward the mid-$0.80 and potentially $0.70 support zones if market weakness persists. For ASTER to reclaim any bullish structure, it needs to recover above the 50-period moving average and establish higher lows — something it has failed to do for weeks.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com