"The 20M Bandit" Adds to ETH, XRP, and XMR Short Positions, Account Sees Unrealized Gain of $12.33M

As of January 22, per Coinbob Popular Address Monitor (link: https://t.me/Coinbob_track_CN): ### Key Whale Shifts on Hyperliquid (Yesterday → Today) - **BTC OG Insider Whale** Total position: $663M–$829M | Largest on-chain ETH/SOL long holder - ETH (5x long): ~$670M | Avg entry: $3,061.18 | Liquidation: $2,254 | Unrealized loss: ~$33M - BTC (5x long): ~$90M | Avg entry: $91,680 | No liquidation price | Unrealized loss: ~$1.68M - **Bear Commander** Total position: $450M→$266M (sharp cut post-$199M liquidation; withdrew ~$20M) | Largest on-chain BTC short whale - BTC (40x short): ~$140M | Avg entry: $90,375.78 | Liquidation: $91,000 | Unrealized gain: ~$1.92M - ETH (25x short): ~$96M | Avg entry: $3,010.63 | Liquidation: $3,092 | Unrealized gain: ~$2.12M - **Strategy Opponent Plate** Total position: $365M | Top 2 on-chain ETH long holder - ETH (15x long): ~$200M | Avg entry: $3,012.84 | Liquidation: $2,495 | Unrealized gain: ~$2.77M - BTC (2

On January 22, Coinglass data shows that if Ethereum drops below $2,900, the cumulative long liquidation strength across major centralized exchanges (CEXs) will reach $874 million. Conversely, if Ethereum breaks above $3,100, the cumulative short liquidation strength for major CEXs will hit $646 million. BlockBeats Note: Liquidation charts do not display the exact number of contracts or their total value at risk of liquidation. Instead, the bars on these charts reflect how significant each liquidation cluster is relative to adjacent clusters—i.e., its "strength." In short, these charts indicate how strongly the underlying asset’s price will react when it hits a specific level. A taller "liquidation bar" means the price will see a more dramatic response due to a liquidity cascade at that point.

Jan. 22 – As tracked by HyperInsight, the "High-Frequency Short-Selling Pioneer" closed a short position on 8,350 ETH at 12:11, incurring a $45,000 loss. The account is currently sitting on a $29,000 floating loss. The address has been active in short-term ETH trades lately, with a very conservative risk profile. Its total cumulative profits over the period stand at $12.1683 million.

On January 22, Goldman Sachs sharply raised its gold price forecast, lifting its year-end 2026 target to $5,400 per ounce from $4,900. The bank attributed the move to sustained buying by private investors and central banks worldwide—with monthly average central bank gold purchases expected to reach ~60 tons this year—driving competition for limited gold supply. Additionally, amid Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts, gold ETF holdings are projected to rise. With multiple institutions turning bullish together, gold has surged past $4,800 per ounce to a record high. A London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) survey found most analysts expect the metal to top $5,000 this year. More aggressive forecasts come from ICBC Standard Bank: its head of commodity strategy noted gold could hit $7,150 in an extreme scenario. Institutions broadly agree that geopolitical tensions, declining real interest rates, and the "de-dollarization" trend are strengthening gold’s position as the ultimate global s

January 22 — Decentralized social protocol Farcaster has been acquired by its core infrastructure provider Neynar, sparking widespread discussion in the crypto community. Farcaster co-founder Dan Romero confirmed that in the coming weeks, the protocol’s contracts, codebase, official app, and the Clanker project will all transfer to Neynar for operation and maintenance. He and some members of the Merkle team will step back from day-to-day management to pursue new projects. Supporters frame the acquisition as an “ecosystem baton pass.” Several developers noted Neynar has long served as Farcaster’s de facto backend, supporting numerous client and developer tools while deeply understanding the ecosystem’s needs. Neynar is viewed as the most fitting successor, poised to bring fresh energy to Farcaster and a clearer development roadmap. Criticism, however, is sharp. Some observers pointed out Farcaster—backed by Paradigm and a16z—raised over $150 million in funding at a $1 billion v