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Why Bitcoin OG Erik Voorhees Just Went All-In on Gold

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Bitcoin OG Erik Voorhees Pivots to Gold

Erik Voorhees, the early Bitcoin advocate and founder of ShapeShift, is making a bold pivot into gold.

The move comes as gold recovers following a 21% crash, with prospects for further gains if analyst projections are any guide.

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Erik Voorhees’ Gold Move Signals a Shift Beyond Bitcoin

Lookonchain reports that Voorhees created nine new wallets and spent $6.81 million in USDC. The Bitcoin OG purchased 1,382 ounces of PAXG, a gold-backed token just like Tether Gold, at an average price of $4,926 per ounce.

Bitcoin OG Erik Voorhees Pivots to Gold
Bitcoin OG Erik Voorhees Pivots to Gold. Source: Arkham Intelligence

Voorhees, who entered the Bitcoin ecosystem in 2011 and later founded several of the earliest major crypto companies, has long championed Bitcoin as “digital gold.”

His latest purchases suggest a nuanced strategy to diversify into traditional safe-haven assets even while remaining a vocal advocate for crypto.

Analyst Jacob King notes that Voorhees’ move signals that some of crypto’s earliest adopters are hedging against potential market volatility by holding both physical and tokenized gold.

Gold prices have been holding steady above $5,000 per ounce, supported by strong central bank demand and inflows from gold ETFs. As of this writing, the gold price was trading for $5,048, up by almost 15% since bottoming out at $4,402 on February 2.

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Gold (XAU) Price Performance
Gold (XAU) Price Performance. Source: TradingView

According to Coin Bureau CEO and co-founder Nic Puckrin, the recent dip in gold prices reflects a temporary pause rather than a retreat. Puckrin cites upcoming US jobs and CPI data, which are likely to influence rate-cut expectations.

Gold Set for Breakout as Analysts Forecast $6,300+ Amid Strategic Dollar Shift

Elsewhere, technical analyst Rashad Hajiyev notes that gold is poised for a breakout after testing a critical resistance level, projecting a near-term breakout to around $5,200 per ounce before entering a range-bound phase.

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Meanwhile, Wells Fargo recently characterized the pullback as a healthy correction after a sharp rally, raising its 2026 gold target to $6,100–$6,300 per ounce. The multinational financial services firm cited geopolitical risks, market volatility, and sustained central bank demand.

“Buy the gold dip, Wells Fargo says. The recent pullback in gold is a healthy correction after a sharp rally,” wrote Walter Bloomberg.  

Meanwhile, Daniel Oliver, founder of Myrmikan Capital, projects a longer-term surge to $12,595 per ounce, driven by central bank buying and concerns over a potential “government bond death spiral.”

Gold Outpaces Stocks as Macro Shifts and Crypto Moves Highlight Its Safe-Haven Appeal

Gold’s strong performance relative to equities is stark. Historical data shows gold surging 1,658% since 2000, compared to the S&P 500’s 460% gain.

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Gold and S&P500 Performance Since 2000
Gold and S&P500 Performance Since 2000. Source: TradingView

Even after factoring in dividends, the S&P’s total return of roughly 700% reflects gold’s value as a portfolio diversifier. This is especially true in periods of macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.

According to analysts, broader macroeconomic factors are driving gold’s rise. Sunil Reddy notes that US policy is quietly shifting away from maximizing dollar purchasing power toward reindustrialization and trade rebalancing.

This “softer dollar” approach is boosting demand for hard assets like gold and silver, signaling a strategic pivot rather than purely speculative buying.

Voorhees’ move into gold may reflect an awareness of these dynamics. By deploying millions into PAXG, the Bitcoin pioneer appears to be betting on gold’s continued relevance as a hedge against dollar weakness and a counterbalance to crypto market volatility.

Still, investors should conduct their own research and not rely solely on analysts’ projections.

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Crypto World

$80M Hyperliquid Whale Bet Predicts Bitcoin Crash and Oil Rally

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$80M Hyperliquid Whale Bet Predicts Bitcoin Crash and Oil Rally

Key takeaways:

  • A Hyperliquid whale placed an $80 million bet against Bitcoin and the S&P 500 while going long on Brent crude oil prices.

  • The whale’s history of massive losses and inconsistent signals suggests the trade could fall on the wrong side of the market.

Bitcoin (BTC) showed strength on Wednesday, bouncing back from Tuesday’s $66,000 low after President Donald Trump teased a potential ceasefire in the US and Israel-Iran war. Even with Bitcoin trading above $68,000, one whale used Hyperliquid DEX to place an $80 million bet on a market collapse. 

Traders are now watching closely to see if this whale’s massive position signals a looming Bitcoin price drop.

Hyperliquid whale 0x94d373…c933814 position. Source: CoinGlass

The Hyperliquid whale, linked to address 0x94d373…c933814, carefully built this nearly $80 million leveraged position between Tuesday and Wednesday. The trade includes a $40 million short (sell) on Bitcoin futures near $68,760, a $2 million short on synthetic S&P 500 Index contracts, and a $37 million long (buy) in synthetic Brent oil contracts.

Crude Brent oil (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD (right). Source: TradingView

The whale’s aggregate position leverage stood at 7 times, indicating high conviction. The Bitcoin futures liquidation price was $80,083, while the Brent oil position would be forcefully terminated above $93. The timing of the trade is curious as S&P 500 Index futures gained 4% between Tuesday and Wednesday as traders anticipate the US and Israel-Iran war dissipating over the next few weeks.

On Wednesday, President Trump said “Iran’s New Regime President” is considering a “ceasefire,” although the conditions to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain unknown. Iran demands reparations and sovereignty. Thus, one could assume that the Hyperliquid whale is counter-trading the market’s optimistic take, betting that Brent crude oil prices will jump while Bitcoin loses its value.

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This Hyperliquid whale previously lost $40 million

This address belongs to a particularly unlucky whale, or at least one who has been extremely unsuccessful since late January. The Hyperliquid whale apparently uses bots for execution, given the sheer number of small trades that build into huge positions, but it still managed to lose $37 million in its first month of activity in December 2025.

The same user was flagged by X user ‘lookonchain’ on Feb. 5 after taking a massive loss on leveraged bullish bets on Ether (ETH), Bitcoin, Solana (SOL), and XRP (XRP). 

Source: X/lookonchain

According to the analysis, the whale had previously made $25 million in profits from shorts in multiple cryptocurrencies, but decided to flip the position on Feb. 4, resulting in a $40 million loss. There is no way to know exactly what triggered this entity to place those bets, but the event proves that even whales can misinterpret the market.

Related: Warren Buffett bought $17B in US T-bills: A bad omen for Bitcoin price?

The erratic signals from President Trump regarding a potential full-on invasion and the war in Iran leave room for opposing views. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied there were talks for a ceasefire but confirmed to Al Jazeera on Tuesday that there was an intention to end the war, according to CNBC.

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Given the history of this whale’s market positioning and its track record of losing trades, it’s possible that the current $80 million bet may fall on the wrong side of the market.