Dave Weisberger, co-founder of CoinRoutes and the man who built Morgan Stanley’s first program trading system, thinks October’s crypto crash was a coordinated attack. He shared his views on the Thinking Crypto podcast with host Tony Edward.
Weisberger called it “the greatest mass liquidation event in history.” The damage, that has kept the industry talking, was $19 billion wiped out. Bitcoin alone saw $5 billion in liquidations. Many altcoins dropped 20-70% at the bottom.
“Was it manipulation? I damn well think so. I have no proof. But it was just too damn obvious a time for an incredibly profitable attack,” he said.
Weisberger broke down the playbook. Attackers spend weeks building a position: long spot, short perpetual futures. Then they wait for a low-liquidity window and dump spot holdings. They place bids far below market price in perpetuals.
When prices fall, leveraged traders get liquidated. Forced selling kicks in. The attackers scoop up assets at rock-bottom prices and walk away with massive profits.
DeFi exchanges got hit hardest because positions were visible on-chain. Binance’s auto-deleveraging system, Weisberger said, was “broken” during the event.
Also Read: Was Binance Behind the $19B October Crypto Crash or the Target of It?
Weisberger has no patience for the halving cycle theory. He pointed out it’s based on just three data points.
He compared it to the Super Bowl Indicator, a 16-year streak that linked NFL wins to stock market performance. That correlation was “complete and unadulterated bullshit,” he said. The four-year cycle, in his view, is no different.
Weisberger stays bullish long-term. Hash rate is now 6x what it was in 2022. Around 10-30% of Bitcoin supply has moved from early holders with cost basis between $10 and $1,000 to newer buyers who paid more.
New institutional holders are making multi-year allocations, not leveraged bets, he noted.
His portfolio reflects that confidence: Bitcoin as his main holding, Solana and BitTensor as secondary plays, and smaller positions in Zcash and XRP.
CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.
All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.
Sponsored content and affiliate links may appear on our site. Advertisements are marked clearly, and our editorial content remains entirely independent from our ad partners.
While the world's attention is focused on the World Cup, new changes are also taking…
Crypto markets are once again trading under pressure. Bitcoin has slipped, Ethereum has extended losses,…
Markets are selling off across the board as several pressures hit investors at the same…
BlackRock's global head of digital assets, Robbie Mitchnick, said the artificial intelligence boom has become…
Ethereum has struggled to regain momentum over the past few months, leaving many investors frustrated.…
SeerDEX's new crypto presale is clearing stages, with Stage 1 entry locked at $0.00050 per…
