RAVE token exploded from $0.30 to nearly $10 in just three days—a staggering 3,300% rally that turned heads. But according to on-chain sleuths at the Evening Trader Group, this wasn't organic hype. It was a meticulously orchestrated scheme targeting short sellers, with clear wallet trails exposing the playbook.
The Bait: $30.58 Million Poured Into Bitget
The operation kicked off when wallets linked to the maneuver transferred $30.58 million worth of RAVE—roughly $42 million at the time—to Bitget exchange. This massive inbound flow screamed "imminent sell-off," luring traders to pile into short positions betting on a price crash. Over the next 48 hours, the plot twisted. About $32 million in RAVE was quietly withdrawn back to on-chain addresses, while spot market prices surged aggressively. Trapped shorts faced a bloodbath as liquidations wiped out their bets, handing profits to the architects. Key addresses implicated include:
0xff6a7A6D89d49Bc41E4a90eeD1CAe358ce94f5EF
0x53d7d52301366DC14E1916b14eFeC1aDD8F3487b
0xD063ee03Cb86d7050496Ad5C56F7185961100452
0x0A1F07993a51CcEb4f52CA67765AECeADDA790d7
80% of Supply Under Team Control
Digging deeper, analysts spotted a team-linked multisig wallet activating days before the pump. It scooped up $43.66 million in RAVE (about $251 million total value), averaging $1 per token—already a 600% gain from entry. Factoring in other multisigs, the group appears to control nearly 200 million RAVE, or 80% of circulating supply. This concentration means price action isn't driven by retail sentiment; it's dictated by insiders. Liquidity is pooling rapidly, fueling speculation of an expansion phase. Yet experts warn: With such dominance, a reversal could be engineered anytime once accumulation flips to distribution.
Repeat Playbook: Spot Pumps Harvest Futures Pain
On-chain forensics show this "bait-and-liquidate" tactic is gaining traction in crypto. Exchanges become the stage for fake signals, spot pumps harvest futures pain, and concentrated holders pull strings. For RAVE price watchers, it's a red flag amid the green candles.