In early May 2025, the Ethereum (ETH) market witnessed contrasting actions from large investors, commonly known as whales.
These opposing behaviors from whales present investors with both risks and opportunities.
Contrasting Ethereum Whales’ Actions
On one hand, several Ethereum whales are accumulating ETH in large quantities. An ETH whale purchased 3,029.6 ETH valued at $5.74 million. However, this whale currently faces a temporary loss of $142,000 as the price has dropped to $1,842 per ETH.
On May 1, 2025, Lookonchain reported that multiple whale addresses accumulated thousands of ETH within two hours. These actions indicate that some major investors remain confident in ETH’s long-term potential despite short-term price volatility.
On the other hand, selling pressure from Ethereum whales is significant. On May 2, 2025, OnchainLens reported that a whale deposited 2,680 ETH on Kraken, incurring an estimated loss of around $255,000.
Meanwhile, analysts revealed that another whale transferred 3,000 ETH to Kraken within 10 minutes on the same day, signaling a strong intent to sell.
10 minutes ago, a whale 0xaDd deposited 3k $ETH (~$5.53M) into #Kraken.
Those $ETH were bought since ICO and have been dormant in 3 years before depositing.
Just now, he still has 2k $ETH (~$3.69M) in his wallet.
Notably, a whale who received 76,000 ETH during the 2015 ICO sold 6,000 ETH, potentially securing a profit of $10.92 million.
Additionally, on May 1, 2025, on-chain data showed a whale increasing their short position by borrowing an additional 4,000 ETH. This whale is bringing their total short position to 10,000 ETH, equivalent to approximately $18.4 million.
These moves highlight a clear divergence in Ethereum whale strategies, with accumulation and selling creating significant pressure on ETH’s price.
Market Context and Investor Sentiment
The volatility in whale behavior coincides with a crypto market influenced by various factors. According to BeInCrypto, ETH’s price gained 10% in a week but slightly decreased in the last 24 hours. It is hovering around $1,842—a notable decline from its March 2025 peak of $2,500.
Ethereum Price Chart in the Past Month. Source: TradingView
Despite this, market sentiment shows some positive signs. Ethereum investment products also saw US$183m inflows last week following an 8-week run of outflows. The Ethereum spot ETF had a total net inflow of US$6.4932 million yesterday. This reflects sustained long-term interest from institutions, even amid short-term selling pressure from whales.
Furthermore, a whale’s large 10,000 ETH short position suggests expectations of a near-term price decline, potentially amplifying downward pressure if market sentiment turns negative.
Meanwhile, retail investors appear to be affected by this uncertainty, with ETH trading volume on exchanges dropping 10% over the past 24 hours.
Risks and Opportunities
The opposing actions of whales place investors at a crossroads of risks and opportunities. On the risk side, the selling pressure from whales, particularly the significant short position, could lower ETH’s price in the short term, especially given the overbought market conditions.
However, opportunities also abound. Whales’ accumulation of thousands of ETH reflects long-term confidence in Ethereum’s potential, particularly as the network continues to lead in DeFi, with a total value locked (TVL) of $52 billion in May 2025, according to DefiLlama.
Analyst Merlijn has shown that Ethereum’s current price structure is similar to that of Bitcoin in 2020. Accordingly, he believes that Ethereum will witness a strong boom if history repeats itself.
Ethereum is showing the same structure. Source: Merlijn
Ethereum risks losing developers to Solana, which is gaining momentum due to better startup support and a streamlined user experience.
Yet, technical upgrades like Ethereum 2.0 and the growth of Layer 2 solutions such as Arbitrum and Optimism also support ETH’s long-term development.
Investors might view the current lower price levels as an opportunity to accumulate, but they should closely monitor whale activities and technical indicators to mitigate correction risks.
Registration is now open for one of the most exhilarating crypto trading tournaments
Bitget, the world’s leading crypto exchange and Web3 company, has officially opened registration for KCGI 2025, the most anticipated trading competition of the year, featuring a massive 6 million USDT prize pool, brand-new segments, and early-bird rewards that make joining early a winning move.
From team battles to bot duels, KCGI 2025 isn’t just a tournament — it’s a spectacle. This year’s edition takes competition to the next level with enhanced challenge modes, region-based leaderboards, and incentives for everyone from strategic captains to high-velocity newcomers. Whether you’re a pro with a polished strategy or a rookie with something to prove, the game is on. There is a spot with your name on it.
“Every year during KCGI we witness traders across the globe strategize, synchronize and innovate,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. “There’s a lot of community and teamwork involved, KCGI is our way of showing gratitude to our top traders. That said, we’re excited to kick off this year’s competition with 6 million USDT up for grabs and a range of dynamic challenges ahead. We’re inviting our community to lead, win, and shape the future of trading.”
6 Million USDT Promotion Pool
This year’s 6 million USDT promotion pool is packed with surprises. Top-performing participants may unlock VIP experiences with Bitget partners. Those partners include LALIGA matchday access, MotoGP circuit passes, and other premium rewards that go beyond the charts. It’s not just about who trades best. It’s also about who dares to play big, lead boldly, and win in style.
KCGI 2025 introduces four high-stakes categories:
Team Battle – Form alliances, build your squad, and rise through the ranks together.
Copy Trading Showdown – Let your strategy do the talking, or ride with the best.
Bot Trading Competition – Code it. Launch it. Dominate the charts.
On-chain Arena – The ultimate test of decentralized skill and chain-savvy moves.
Early registrants unlock exclusive perks like trading bonuses, entry into mystery prize draws, and first dibs on team captaincy slots. Participants from over 100 countries are expected to join. Thus, it has not only become the largest KCGI yet but also the most global, collaborative, and competitive.
The official Team Battle segment begins July 24, but the smart money moves early. Traders who register now not only secure their seat, but they also set the tone for the event.
Get in early. Build your team. Shape the leaderboard.
KCGI 2025: This isn’t just trading, it’s a full-on battle with rewards.
About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices.
Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.
Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist), and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.
Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.
BeInCrypto sat down with members of the LBank team to analyze the possible resurgence of the meme coin market as a leading crypto narrative and what their fusion with artificial intelligence (AI) can have on their reach.
LBank also discussed the impact of the four-month-old Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation on its operations across Europe. They described a fundamental change in investor confidence in light of greater regulatory clarity and simplified accessibility.
Have Meme Coin Highs Given Way to Devastating Lows?
In recent years, the meme coin market has largely been characterized by overwhelming highs and devastating lows. The first few months of 2025 have further confirmed the volatile nature of these tokens, to the point that a vocal part of the crypto community believes that their recent lows have marked the end of the meme coin lifecycle.
These claims are not unfounded, especially now that the US President has become a meme coin player. When Trump launched his meme coin in mid-January, TRUMP reached a market capitalization of nearly $8.8 billion, a number never before seen by a meme coin launch.
When insider traders capitalized on the surge to sell off their holdings and retain millions of dollars in gains, retail investors bore the brunt of the massive sell-off, suffering hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.
“The decline in meme coin market cap since January can be attributed to a combination of market dynamics and sentiment shifts. A key driver was the rapid rise and subsequent crash of the TRUMP token, which drew significant market capital due to its viral appeal but collapsed sharply, eroding investor confidence and triggering a broader risk-off sentiment,” Eric He, Community Angel Officer and Risk Control Adviser at LBank told BeInCrypto.
After similar experiences with the MELANIA token and the LIBRA launch, some of these retail investors realized that meme coins —as unregulated and unpredictable as they are— may not be the best investments.
Is the Meme Coin Frenzy Coming to a Halt?
Given the devastating effects that these episodes have had on the meme coin market, trading has reduced significantly. The crypto community seems to have become saturated with news of pump-and-dump schemes and rug pulls, likely contributing to a halt in the meme coin frenzy.
The total meme coin market capitalization has been free-falling since January’s peak following the presidential token launches. Now, its levels resemble those of September 2024. The greater economic downturn that traditional and crypto markets experienced over the past several weeks has only worsened prospects.
Yet, despite this downward pressure, the market still experiences a high level of activity. It has a $14.5 billion trading volume and a $57 billion market capitalization.
Total meme coin market capitalization. Source: CoinGecko.
According to the LBank team, the meme coin industry is due for a revival.
LBank’s Belief in the Revival of the Meme Coin Market
Though the decline in meme coin performance has been significant, the LBank team expressed that these circumstances are far from unexpected. Meme coins are inherently tied to community support and social momentum.
The sustained trading volumes and large market capitalization serve as tangible indicators that, even in a downturn, the market is seeing active community engagement and liquidity. Investors still see value in the tokens’ cultural and speculative appeal.
“We see it as a healthy market correction rather than a fundamental shift. Meme coins have always been volatile, but the fact that trading volumes remain high shows continued interest. What’s happening now is not the end of the trend—it’s just a recalibration before the next wave,” Mario Iemma, Head of Spanish Markets at LBank, told BeInCrypto.
In fact, Iemma believes that meme coins will not be dying out anytime soon.
AI agents represented the first significant shift in the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry. These autonomous systems proved that they could make decisions and perform tasks independently. This technology enhances intelligence, adaptability, and fairness in financial mechanisms.
Now, developers have unlocked artificial intelligence’s potential on tokens. Systems like Grok have already made news by using AI to automatically and independently design and launch tokens.
However, with a nascent technology like AI, the LBank team emphasized the need for responsible and thorough deployment for the long-lasting success of AI-generated tokens. This success hinges on two particular factors: accessibility and security.
Security and Accessibility Challenges for AI-Generated Tokens
The concept of security is frequently associated with any emerging technology. Artificial intelligence is no exception, especially in a particularly unregulated industry like crypto.
According to He, AI-generated token projects’ degree of security and transparency will determine their success.
Iemma agreed, adding that if AI-generative tokens become widely accessible, this development will also require additional layers of oversight.
“That same accessibility demands better filters, vetting, and AI-based security audits—areas where exchanges like LBank are already investing resources,” he said.
While reflecting on the security risks associated with artificial intelligence and the breaches in consumer trust that meme coins have had on the crypto community, the LBank team also emphasized the need for greater regulation in the industry.
The development of cryptocurrency regulations varies significantly across the globe. Notably, the European Union implemented comprehensive rules almost five months ago, while key markets such as the United States are still establishing adequate frameworks.
MiCA’s Effect on the European Crypto Market
Last December, with the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, the European Union became the first jurisdiction to establish a comprehensive and unified regulatory framework for crypto-assets across all its member states, marking a significant milestone.
According to the LBank team, MiCA gives users and institutions a trustworthy framework. This development has proven critical for industry growth across the region.
“MiCA has forced firms to become more transparent and compliant, which is a good thing for long-term trust. We’ve seen exchanges accelerate their legal and operational upgrades. For users, it creates a safer, more predictable environment,” Iemma said, adding, “With clearer rules, banks and investment firms are more willing to explore crypto partnerships, custody solutions, and even tokenized assets. Regulation reduces reputational risk, and MiCA is helping bridge that gap.”
However, this experience can be largely attributed to established firms in the industry and investors with access to substantial resources. Other players, however, have struggled to gather the requirements to apply for a MiCA license.
Future Accommodation for Smaller Crypto Businesses
In discussing the impact of MiCA since its enactment last December, He highlighted how different industry players have responded to the landmark regulation. He noted that startups struggle the most to obtain an operational license.
When evaluating the cost-effectiveness of an operational license, He’s conclusions make sense.
MiCA is an expensive regulation. It mandates minimum capital requirements based on the crypto services offered. These requirements range from €50,000 for advisory and order-related services to €125,000 for exchange and trading platforms and up to €150,000 for custody services. Businesses must maintain this capital as a financial safeguard.
Beyond minimum capital requirements, companies must factor in government and legal fees, local presence costs, bank setups, and ongoing operational costs. But for prominent exchanges like LBank, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Future MiCA updates could address the high compliance costs for smaller businesses. Meanwhile, other regions developing their crypto regulations should consider this aspect to avoid creating similar barriers.
Hedera (HBAR) is down 10.5% over the last seven days, as technical and derivative indicators point to growing weakness. Futures volume has fallen below $100 million for five straight days, signaling a sharp decline in speculative interest compared to March’s $1.3 billion peak.
Despite historically tracking Bitcoin’s moves closely, HBAR has underperformed during BTC’s recent rally, gaining just 0.75% in the past 30 days. With EMA lines still bearish and price nearing critical support at $0.18, HBAR faces a key test that could define its direction heading into June.
HBAR Futures Volume Falls Below $100 Million – What Does it Mean?
HBAR futures volume has dropped to $96.5 million and has remained under the $100 million mark for the past five consecutive days, marking a sharp contrast to the elevated levels seen earlier this year.
Back on March 1, futures volume peaked at $1.3 billion, but since then, both volume and open interest have steadily declined.
HBAR futures allow traders to speculate on the token’s future price, and their activity often reflects broader sentiment and risk appetite from both retail and institutional participants.
The recent drop points to waning speculative interest, potentially signaling caution or lack of conviction in Hedera’s short-term price direction.
With the 7-day EMA of HBAR futures volume now at its lowest in three months, the data suggests current price action may be increasingly driven by spot demand rather than leveraged positioning.
This shift in market structure could mean reduced volatility and a more organic price trend in the near term. However, without a rebound in derivatives activity, any upward moves may lack the momentum typically provided by aggressive speculative inflows.
Hedera Lags Behind BTC Rally—Will It Catch Up in June?
Historically, HBAR price has shown a strong positive correlation with Bitcoin (BTC), often amplifying the broader market’s moves.
However, over the past 30 days, that relationship appears to have weakened—BTC is up 14.3%, while HBAR has gained just 0.75% over the same period.
BTC and HBAR Performance in the last 30 Days. Source: Messari.
This divergence suggests that HBAR has not yet responded to the recent bullish momentum in the crypto market, despite typically being a higher-beta asset.
In previous cycles, HBAR has often outperformed BTC during rallies but also faced steeper declines during broader market corrections, reflecting its sensitivity to shifts in sentiment.
If Bitcoin reaches new highs in June, HBAR could be well-positioned for a sharper move upward, as it did during past surges.
HBAR Approaches $0.18 Support as Bearish EMA Setup Persists
HBAR’s EMA structure remains bearish, with short-term exponential moving averages still positioned below long-term ones—a classic sign of ongoing downward momentum.
The token has been trading below the $0.20 mark for the past six days, reflecting sustained pressure and a lack of bullish follow-through.
This setup reinforces the cautious sentiment surrounding HBAR as it hovers near key technical levels.
Currently, HBAR is approaching the critical support at $0.18, and losing this level would mark its first break below that threshold since May 8.
However, if the market turns and momentum improves in June, HBAR could break back above $0.20, with room to rally toward $0.25—an area it hasn’t touched since early March.
