On February 15, 2025, a tweet by @AltcoinGordon on X (formerly Twitter) sent ripples through the crypto community. In his post, he candidly admitted, “I know it will rug but I’ll get in early and sell before everyone else.” This statement highlights a risky strategy where traders attempt to ride the early hype of a project—even if they expect it to collapse—by quickly exiting before the crash.
At the time of the tweet, Bitcoin was priced at $56,230, up by 1.2% in the last 24 hours, and Ethereum was trading at $3,450, showing a modest gain of 0.8%. The post quickly gained traction, amassing over 1,000 retweets in just one hour, signaling strong community engagement and a willingness to take on high-risk moves.
Following the tweet, trading volumes surged. Bitcoin’s trading volume increased by 5% to $28 billion, while Ethereum’s volume climbed 3% to $15 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. On Binance, the BTC/USDT pair saw volume spike by 7% to $30 billion, and ETH/USDT increased by 5% to $16 billion. On-chain data also revealed a small but notable rise in active addresses—Bitcoin’s active addresses grew by 2% and Ethereum’s by 1.5%—indicating heightened market activity.
Technical indicators supported the bullish sentiment. Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) was at 68, nearing overbought levels, and its MACD showed a bullish crossover. Ethereum’s RSI was 62, and its MACD also hinted at upward momentum. However, the strategy of “getting in early and selling before the rug pull” remains extremely risky. A study from the University of Cambridge found that only 20% of traders using this approach successfully exit in time, with the remaining 80% facing losses.
While there were no specific AI news events affecting the market on that day, the overall trend of institutional adoption of AI-driven trading algorithms continues to boost trading volumes and market efficiency.
In summary, despite clear warnings and historical data showing the dangers of this strategy, some traders are betting on timing the market to capitalize on early gains. As always, investors should exercise caution and conduct thorough research before attempting such high-risk moves in a volatile market.
