Billion-Dollar Gamble Ends in Liquidation for Crypto’s Boldest Trader

High-profile trader James Wynn lost over $17 million after a string of high-leverage crypto bets ended with just $23 left in his account.

James Wynn, a well-known figure in the crypto trading world, has been completely wiped out after a series of aggressive, high-stakes bets on the Hyperliquid platform. Data from HyperDash shows his account now holds just $23, following a volatile month of trading.

Wynn became famous for placing huge leveraged positions on-chain in tokens like BTC, PEPE, and others. His most devastating move came with a $1.25 billion long on Bitcoin, which collapsed as BTC dipped below $105,000, leading to a loss of over $37 million including fees.

Despite some early wins—like a profitable PEPE position that surged more than 10%—market volatility repeatedly wiped out his trades. Over the month, he rotated through assets such as ETH, SUI, TRUMP, and even FARTCOIN, at one point sitting on an unrealized profit of $85 million.

In response to the dramatic loss, an X account linked to Wynn remained defiant, stating: “I’ll run it back, I always do. And I’ll enjoy doing it. I like playing the game.”