In a market where volatility is constant, James Wynn stood out with an extraordinary maneuver

A controversial figure in speculative trading, Wynn seemed to be riding a bullish wave… until an announcement by Donald Trump about a massive tax against the EU.

In a market where volatility is constantly churning, James Wynn stood out with an extraordinary maneuver: a long position of 1.25 billion dollars on bitcoin at 40x leverage via Hyperliquid. A controversial figure in speculative trading, Wynn seemed to be riding a bullish wave with a triple-digit return over a few months.

However, this daring bet was largely wiped out by a single announcement from Donald Trump about a massive tax against the EU. Within hours, the geopolitical shock reversed the market trend, leaving several traders in a deep hole.

Extreme risk-taking : James Wynn on a knife-edge

A few months ago, the decentralized platform Hyperliquid narrowly avoided disaster before stabilizing its situation through technical adjustments and rigorous risk management.

On May 24, James Wynn, a high-risk trader and now an emblematic figure of this infrastructure, pushed the use of leverage to its peak with a long position of 1.25 billion dollars on Bitcoin.

Indeed, as reported by Lookonchain, Wynn had already closed his investment on the memecoin PEPE, generating a profit of 25.2 million dollars. He then reallocated these gains to his bitcoin bet, shortly after incurring 5.3 million dollars in losses on positions in Ether (ETH) and Sui (SUI).

These portfolio adjustments reflect an aggressive strategy where reactivity and maximum risk-taking seem to outweigh diversification.

The evolution of his bitcoin position, spread over several days, demonstrates a calculated but extremely bold approach, marked by strong market exposure :

Wynn, active on Hyperliquid for two months with an initial deposit of 4.65 million dollars in USDC, describes himself as a “high-leverage and high-risk trader”. As such, his trading style is emblematic of a new generation of crypto speculators, ready to face the market rollercoaster with extraordinary risk tolerance.

A political announcement that shakes the giants

The brutal reversal occurred a few hours later, when Donald Trump announced on May 23 his intention to impose a 50 % customs tax on all imports from the European Union.

This statement, perceived as a sign of renewed trade tensions, immediately shook all financial markets, including cryptos. The bitcoin price fell below 107,000 dollars, triggering volatility that melted Wynn’s profits.

This situation caused a net loss of 29 million dollars in a single day, according to HypurrScan data. Other cryptos like Ether were also swept away by the wave, falling to 2,504 dollars, while memecoins collapsed.

Although this loss seems spectacular, it has not wiped out the trader’s overall performance. Indeed, James Wynn still shows a profit of 57 million dollars since launching his operations on the platform, including 46 million made in the past month alone.

However, this sudden drop starkly reminds us that, in such an unstable market, massive high-leverage positions can collapse on a simple political declaration, as unpredictable as it is external to the sector’s fundamentals.

Beyond Wynn’s particular case, this episode raises a global issue: the increasing exposure of the crypto market to global geopolitical dynamics. Like traditional assets, bitcoin now reacts almost instantly to major political events, which increases complexity and risk for investors.

While Wynn has managed to stay afloat, many less experienced traders might not withstand such shocks. As platforms like Hyperliquid attract more high-risk profiles, the question of the system’s resilience against factors amplifying crypto crashes during macroeconomic volatility remains open.