Shiba Inu (SHIB) has climbed back into the top 25 cryptocurrencies by market cap this week, fueled by a whale squeeze that also validated a $3.3 billion market cap prediction. Meanwhile, XRP is staring down a $13 million short position as Hyperliquid whales turn bullish, and AI agents have started transacting in Bitcoin on Jack Dorsey's workplace platform Buzz.
Whale squeeze lifts SHIB
The move wasn't subtle. A concentrated buying spree from large holders — a classic whale squeeze — pushed SHIB's market cap past the $3.3 billion mark, a target that had been floating around in trader chatter for months. The token now sits among the top 25 by market cap, a spot it hasn't held since earlier this year. The squeeze appears to have caught some short sellers off guard, though exact liquidation figures aren't public.
XRP short and Hyperliquid whales
XRP is dealing with a different kind of pressure. A $13 million short position is sitting on the books, making it one of the largest single short bets against the token in recent weeks. But it's not all bearish. Hyperliquid whales — traders on the perpetuals exchange known for big positions — have been accumulating XRP longs, signaling a split in sentiment. The tension between the short and the whale accumulation could lead to a squeeze of its own if the longs keep building.
AI agents buy Bitcoin on Buzz
In a separate corner of the market, AI agents are now transacting in Bitcoin using Buzz, Jack Dorsey's Slack rival. The platform, which has been quietly building a payments layer, is seeing automated scripts and AI-driven bots send and receive BTC. It's a small but notable step toward machine-to-machine payments — and a sign that Dorsey's bet on Bitcoin as a native internet currency is finding new use cases beyond human traders.
The convergence of whale activity and AI-driven transactions suggests a shifting landscape, but the immediate focus remains on whether XRP can withstand the $13 million short pressure. Traders are watching to see if that position gets liquidated or covered in the coming days.
