FTX, Alameda Transfers $75M in Ether to Wintermute

Onchain data reveals that wallets linked to FTX and Alameda Research transferred approximately $75 million worth of ether (ETH) to Wintermute, a crypto market maker. The transfers occurred on Wednesday, with PeckShieldAlert flagging a single transaction worth around $65 million from an Alameda Research and FTX bankruptcy estate-labeled address to Wintermute. However, onchain analyst EmberCN discovered that six wallets transferred a combined 27,372 ether to Wintermute in the same timeframe.

The discrepancy between PeckShield's alert and EmberCN's findings suggests that the latter took into account multiple transfers rather than a single large transaction. The largest part of the transfer sent 23,639 ether to an address labeled 'Wintermute' on Etherscan. A transfer to a market maker like Wintermute can signal an intent to sell or hedge a large position without directly sending it to an exchange.

The FTX Recovery Trust has not made any public statements regarding the transfers, and Wintermute did not immediately respond to a CoinDesk request for confirmation and further information. The recent transfer follows the trust's ongoing creditor-distribution program, which includes a planned $2.2 billion payout in March under its Chapter 11 plan.