$4mln Hyperliquid whale opens 3x SOL short – Trouble ahead for Solana?

A newly created wallet deposited $4 million in USDC into Hyperliquid, then opened a 3x leveraged SOL short, signaling clear downside conviction from fresh capital.

This action shows clear downside intent rather than hedging behavior. The trader chose moderate leverage, which suggests confidence without excessive liquidation risk. 

Meanwhile, the entry occurred as Solana [SOL] traded below key structural levels. That timing strengthens the bearish read. 

Additionally, fresh wallets often signal new information or a strong macro view. However, this short does not exist in isolation. It directly contrasts broader market positioning. 

Therefore, the trade introduces asymmetry, where few large players absorb downside risk while many smaller traders expect upside.

Sellers defend structure as momentum weakens

Solana remained locked inside a well-defined descending channel on the daily chart at press time, with price continuing to respect lower highs and lower lows. 

The recent rejection near the $120 region proved critical, as it aligned with both horizontal resistance and the channel midpoint. 

The failure accelerated downside pressure and pushed Solana below the $100 handle, reinforcing bearish control. 

Above, the $147.85 level remained a key invalidation zone, as repeated failures there confirmed distribution rather than consolidation. 

Meanwhile, price traded near the lower channel boundary around $90, a zone that previously offered only brief pauses. 

Momentum reinforces this weakness. The daily RSI has slipped toward 23, reflecting sustained selling pressure rather than capitulation. 

Significantly, RSI has not printed a bullish divergence, and prior rebounds stalled below 40, showing weak recovery attempts. 

Therefore, if $90 fails to hold decisively, SOL could extend lower toward the $80 support, where historical demand and psychological interest may re-emerge.

Solana top traders lean long despite pressure

Binance top trader data shows long accounts near 82%, while short accounts remain close to 18%. This positioning pushes the long-to-short ratio above 4.5. 

Such skew highlights crowded bullish exposure. Many traders expect a rebound despite the downtrend. 

However, heavy long concentration increases downside risk. When price fails to recover, forced unwinds often follow. 

Additionally, this positioning contrasts sharply with the HyperLiquid whale short. Therefore, sentiment diverges between concentrated capital and aggregated accounts. 

This imbalance creates vulnerability. If price stalls or slips further, long liquidation pressure could intensify rapidly.

Leverage resets as Open Interest falls

Open Interest has declined by roughly 4.37%, dropping to about $6.19B. This contraction signals leverage reduction across derivatives markets. Traders appear to close positions rather than add aggressively. 

However, declining Open Interest during falling price often reflects long exits. That interpretation fits the positioning skew. 

Moreover, reduced leverage does not remove directional risk. It simply resets exposure. Therefore, the market now carries less leverage but remains directionally imbalanced. 

If price fails to stabilize, new leverage could be rebuilt on the short side. That shift would extend volatility rather than suppress it.

Long liquidations dominate Solana’s recent activity

Liquidation data showed longs absorbing the majority of recent pressure. Total long liquidations reached roughly $3.59 million, while shorts faced about $733K.

This imbalance confirmed downside stress on bullish positioning. Binance, Bybit, and OKX all recorded heavier long liquidations. 

Hyperliquid also showed more long pressure than shorts. These events occurred as SOL traded near $90. Therefore, price weakness already forces leveraged longs out. 

However, liquidation clusters remain relatively modest so far. That leaves room for further downside-driven flushes if price fails to hold current levels.

Conclusively, Solana sat at a critical junction where structure, momentum, and positioning clash. A well-capitalized short contrasts sharply with a crowded long exposure. 

Weak RSI and a descending channel support downside continuation. Declining Open Interest suggests cleanup, not relief. 

If price stalls near support, long pressure could accelerate. Therefore, Solana may indeed face a forced deleveraging phase before any durable recovery emerges.

Final Thoughts

• SOL continues to respect a descending channel with repeated failures at the midpoint and horizontal resistance near $120.
• A newly created wallet deployed $4 million into HyperLiquid and opened a 3x leveraged SOL short, signaling directional conviction.