In the volatile world of cryptocurrency, AguilaTrades—one of the most successful traders on the Bybit exchange—has recently suffered a loss of over $15.4 million in just 10 days. Previously achieving a profit of $77.36 million on Bybit, AguilaTrades faced a dark streak after switching to trading on Hyperliquid, where he made serious mistakes in risk management.
Trading data shows that AguilaTrades failed to capitalize on timely profit-taking, leading to significant losses. For example, he had a profit of $5.8 million from a long Bitcoin position using 20x leverage, but instead of taking profits, he continued to hold the position and lost $12.47 million. In another instance, AguilaTrades earned $10 million from a trade but, due to not exiting in time, incurred an additional loss of $2.5 million. These decisions exposed critical weaknesses in his risk management strategy, even for an experienced trader like AguilaTrades.
AguilaTrades’ losses occurred against the backdrop of a highly volatile cryptocurrency market. On June 17, 2025, Bitcoin’s price dropped nearly 4%, falling below the significant threshold of $104,000, causing the total crypto market capitalization to evaporate by $160 billion. The primary cause is believed to be escalating geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran.
However, the market picture is not entirely bleak. Institutional money continues to flow robustly into Bitcoin ETFs, with over $1.46 billion injected in the past five days, indicating long-term confidence in this asset.
Related: The Cost to Mine One Bitcoin Has Increased to $70,000
The story of AguilaTrades serves as a costly warning for cryptocurrency traders, particularly in a market fraught with risk and volatility. The use of high leverage, failure to take profits in a timely manner, and lack of discipline in risk management can lead even the best traders to significant losses. In a market pressured by both geopolitical factors and monetary policy, caution and a clear strategy are key to survival and success.
