On-chain whale trader dubbed “Anti-CZ” by the crypto community has amassed over $21 million in unrealized profit from shorting the ASTER token, according to a Tuesday report from market tracker Lookonchain.
The decentralized exchange (DEX) token ASTER surged after Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) publicly revealed he had purchased it 48 hours prior. However, the pseudonymous trader behind the wallet address 0x9eec placed a massive short position on ASTER through the decentralized derivatives exchange Hyperliquid shortly after CZ’s announcement.
The timing was critical: the bet came just minutes after CZ disclosed buying roughly 2 million ASTER tokens on Sunday, an announcement that caused the token’s price to jump about 20%. Lookonchain flagged the trader’s activity following CZ’s post, noting the whale held ASTER tokens worth $52.8 million at the time, with a liquidation price near $2.091.
### Dual Wallet Strategy and Leveraged Shorts
The trader reportedly operates two separate wallets, both carrying active leveraged short positions on ASTER, as well as DOGE, ETH, XRP, and kPEPE. This data was observed through Hyperliquid’s dashboard and reviewed by Cryptopolitan.
Combined, these two wallets now show over $21 million in unrealized profit from ASTER shorts alone, with nearly $100 million in total unrealized gains across all open positions.
### ASTER Shorts Breakdown: Over $36M in Positions, $15.8M+ in Profits
Based on Hyperscan updates:
– The first wallet holds a $36.07 million short position on ASTER at 3x leverage, opened at an average entry price of $1.2083. With ASTER’s market price currently sliding to $0.8371, this position is up by $15.84 million — a 131.7% profit.
– The second, smaller ASTER short sits in another wallet with a $12.84 million position at an average entry price of $1.1625. This trade shows $4.95 million in unrealized profit, a 115.7% return on investment (ROI).
The liquidation price for this smaller position stands at $2.2324, well above current prices, indicating minimal liquidation risk unless ASTER experiences an unexpected price spike.
### Profitable Shorts on Other Altcoins
The trader’s Hyperliquid portfolio also includes sizable leveraged short bets on other meme coins and altcoins:
– DOGE shorts total $25.2 million at 5x leverage, entered at $0.2075. With DOGE now trading near $0.1618, these positions have gained over $7 million.
– A $11.8 million short position on kPEPE, also at 5x leverage, has returned more than $5.09 million — a 215.7% unrealized gain. The liquidation price sits comfortably above at $0.0353.
### CZ’s Endorsement Sparks ASTER Volatility
As previously reported by Cryptopolitan late Sunday, ASTER’s price volatility accelerated following CZ’s endorsement on X (formerly Twitter), where he announced purchasing 2 million tokens. This spurred traders to jump on the bullish bandwagon, driving ASTER’s price to a peak of $1.30.
However, once the initial hype and social media chatter subsided, ASTER’s price plunged nearly 30% within a day, wiping out the “CZ pump” gains and pushing the token back below $1 into bearish territory.
“Hyperliquid fans have been bashing CZ for shilling ASTER right on X,” said one community member, noting how quickly the rally reversed. “If you jumped on ASTER the second CZ shilled it, congrats, you’re officially in the red. This ain’t shade at anyone.”
### Technical Outlook: Key Levels to Watch
On the daily chart, ASTER slipped below the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level at $0.94 — a critical threshold that could signal whether the correction deepens into a full reversal.
Crypto trader Ardi Altcoin commented in a Telegram update: “The focus isn’t on chasing upside for now, because bulls are fighting to preserve structure. Dropping down below $0.85-$0.90 would hand control entirely to bears and change the short-term trend to decisively bearish.”
To regain positive momentum, ASTER bulls would need to reclaim the 61.8% Fibonacci level at $1.01, which could set the stage for a move back above $1.30, Ardi added.
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