Every day around 10 a.m. ET, the crypto community notices the same thing:
Bitcoin makes a sudden move — either a sharp pump or a quick dump.
So naturally, everyone asks…
“Who is manipulating Bitcoin at this time?”
Here’s the truth 👇
1️⃣ Institutional Money Wakes Up at This Hour
10 a.m. ET is when major U.S. institutions, hedge funds, and market makers finalize their opening positions.
This creates large buy or sell orders, which can look like manipulation — but it’s mostly big liquidity entering the market.
---
2️⃣ Liquidity Grabs & Stop-Hunt Zones
During this time, Bitcoin often moves toward:
liquidity pools
stop-loss clusters
high leverage zones
This isn’t always manipulation — it’s algorithmic trading hunting for liquidity.
---
3️⃣ Market Makers Balance Their Books
Professional market makers adjust positions when:
U.S. equities open
Futures markets gain volume
Volatility spikes
This can cause sudden BTC wicks, making people feel the market is controlled.
---
4️⃣ High-Frequency Trading (HFT) Bots
These bots react instantly to:
Nasdaq/S&P movements
Dollar strength
Breaking news
Economic numbers
The result? Sharp BTC moves at the exact same time every day.
---
So Who Is Manipulating?
Not a single person —
Not a secret group —
Not a hidden “Bitcoin whale mafia.”
It’s mostly:
Institutional order flow
Market makers
Algorithmic bots
Liquidity reactions
No one controls Bitcoin…
But big money definitely influences its short-term movements.
---
Final Thought 💭
If you’re a trader, the 10 a.m. ET candle isn’t your enemy —
It’s a signal.
It tells you:
Volume is coming
Big money is moving
Volatility is about to arrive
Smart traders prepare for it.
Emotional traders get liquidated by it.
