Bitcoin Influencer Stages Fake $6 Million Short Liquidation

A Bitcoin influencer recently staged a fake $6 million short liquidation to attract followers and clout. Laanie, the trader, posted fake evidence of a leveraged wipeout that garnered over a thousand views on social audio space X amidst a particularly bullish day for crypto markets.

BTC was enjoying one of its steepest single-day gains of the year, rallying from $64,000 to $75,000 in under 24 hours. A proposed Community Note on X challenged Laanie's claim, explaining that the trading display shared had Bybit's Demo mode enabled, a subtle yet unmistakable label for the crypto exchange's simulated trading view.

One skeptic explained the difference between a real Bybit trading account and Laanie's paper money account. Another trader noted that Laanie's screenshots cropped out the webpage tab, indicating their use of Bybit's Demo mode.