APE 14x Profits Then Moves to LDO: The "Insider Address" Hunting Season

In the crypto market, every unexpected surge often hides alert "smart money." Recently, a newly created wallet address became one of the biggest winners during the ApeCoin (APE) price surge, raking in $2.27 million in profit in a single day through precise leverage operations, achieving a 14x return. Even more striking, after completing its APE hunt, the address swiftly moved its capital to Lido DAO (LDO) and secured further profits.

This article will provide an in-depth analysis of this "insider address's" on-chain operational trail. It will also explore the underlying market currents behind this "old coin rally," considering recent capital rotation in the crypto market, rumors about market makers, and the rebound in the NFT market.

The APE Hunt: A 14x Miracle from $170,000 Principal

On April 24, 2026, the long-dormant APE suddenly exploded, with a single-day gain exceeding 110% and peaking near $0.1965. During this frenzy, a newly created Hyperliquid wallet address (0x0b8a...) became one of the biggest winners. According to tracking by on-chain data monitors Lookonchain and Onchain Lens, the address's operations were textbook "insider trading":

Capital Preparation: Just before the APE surge, the new wallet sold 75 ETH on the Hyperliquid platform, cashing out approximately $174,000 as principal.

High-Leverage Long Position: Subsequently, the address decisively used 5x leverage to go long on 9.19 million APE (with a notional value of approximately $1.03 million).

Precision Profit-Taking: As the APE price soared, the address closed its long position near the peak, generating a profit of approximately $1.79 million from this single trade.

Reverse Short Position: Astonishingly, after closing the long position, the address immediately opened a short position, capitalizing on the subsequent price decline to net another approximately $488,000 in profit.

In just one day, the address multiplied its $174,000 principal into $2.45 million like a snowball, achieving a total profit of $2.27 million. This precise timing for entry and the switch between long and short positions has led the market to widely speculate whether the address possessed undisclosed insider information.

The immediate catalyst for this APE surge was its parent company, Yuga Labs, announcing significant executive changes. Former CEO and co-founder Greg Solano transitioned to Chairman, while Michael Figge, a seasoned professional from the film and animation industry, was appointed as the new CEO.

The market interpreted this personnel change as a positive signal for Yuga Labs' governance improvement and strategic restructuring, reigniting speculative enthusiasm among investors. However, considering the insider address's precise positioning before the announcement, it undoubtedly deepens market suspicions of "insider trading."

Capitalizing on Success, Moving Large Funds to LDO

After harvesting profits from APE, the address didn't stop. It quickly turned its attention to another established DeFi project, Lido. According to Lookonchain monitoring, this suspected insider, using two wallet addresses, once again opened a long position with 5x leverage on Hyperliquid, shorting 5.57 million LDO, with a total position value of $5.16 million.

This morning, with the LDO price subsequently rising over 20%, the address scored again. One associated wallet closed its position after a profit of approximately $50,000, while another wallet continues to hold a long position of 5.96 million LDO (valued at approximately $2.65 million), currently showing an unrealized profit of about $250,000. This means the address's operations on LDO have accumulated a profit of approximately $300,000.

Unlike APE, which was purely driven by news events, LDO's rise has a more solid fundamental backing. Previously, the LDO price experienced a prolonged downtrend, dropping over 95% from its all-time high and even hitting a historical low near $0.27. Facing a token price severely misaligned with the protocol's fundamentals (Lido possesses a deep moat and stable staking revenue), the Lido DAO community passed a major proposal in mid-April: to use up to 10,000 stETH (valued at approximately $20 million) from its treasury to buy back LDO tokens.

This buyback plan created direct buying pressure and strong price support for LDO, pushing its price to a 10-week high. The address's decision to heavily accumulate LDO at this time clearly capitalized on the deterministic upside expected from the buyback plan.

Capital Rotation, Market Makers, and Price Rebounds: Undercurrents Resurface in the Crypto Market

In April 2026, Bitcoin Dominance (BTC.D) remained high at 56%-60%, and the market did not experience a full-blown "altseason." However, against the backdrop of easing risk aversion and BTC maintaining high-level consolidation, some profit-taking capital began seeking new opportunities, rotating into more elastic altcoins.

But as the broader crypto market rebounded, hotspots across various sectors emerged. Besides the earlier BSC ecosystem meme craze, the meme market also spawned several "golden dogs" following the weekend shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Amid this localized capital rotation, several low-cap or long-declining legacy tokens like RIVER, APE, and ORDI have experienced extreme price surges in the past month.

However, this "old coin rally" often lacks sustained fundamental support and is more a result of capital games. According to leaks from a crypto KOL, an active market maker named HSBG has become a hot topic within the circle. It is alleged that the firm made hundreds of millions of dollars just by manipulating the RIVER project, wielding enough influence even to dictate the token's unlock schedule.

From the 14x windfall on APE to the follow-up capital gains on LDO, the on-chain trail of this "insider address" reveals the brutal yet precise nature of capital games in the crypto market. Fueled by capital rotation and market makers, the "old coin rally" drama continues to unfold. For ordinary investors, while marveling at the extraordinary profits of smart money, it is crucial to maintain a clear head and be wary of the manipulation risks lurking behind extreme price movements.