Have you noticed Bitcoin’s price suddenly nosedive right when the U.S. stock market opens? You aren’t imagining it.
A growing number of traders are pointing fingers at trading giant Jane Street, accusing the firm of orchestrating a specific Bitcoin Manipulation strategy. With price action looking suspicious around 10:00 AM ET, the community is asking: Is this a natural correction, or is the market getting “slapped” by an institutional whale?
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What Is the ’10 AM Dump’ Theory Around Bitcoin Price?
If you’re tired of watching your portfolio turn red just as you pour your morning coffee, you aren’t alone. The theory circulating on social media suggests that this isn’t random bad luck. Traders believe large entities are executing a calculated Market Open Dump.
Here is why this matters: Jane Street is a massive player in the crypto space. According to recent reports, the firm holds a staggering $2.5 billion position in BlackRock’s IBIT ETF.
BREAKING: Jane Street bought 7,105,206 $IBIT shares worth $276 million in Q4 2025.
It now holds 20,315,780 IBIT shares worth $790 million.
This is the same entity rumoured to be behind the daily “10 AM” manipulation to push Bitcoin prices lower. pic.twitter.com/NFC5r5hHUn
— Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) February 17, 2026
The allegation is that they aggressively sell spot Bitcoin at the market open to trigger panic selling and liquidate over-leveraged retail traders. Once the price drops, they allegedly scoop up more ETF shares at a discount.
We see this pattern frequently in crypto, institutions using their weight to shake out “weak hands” before the next leg up. It’s a ruthless game of liquidity, and retail investors are often the ones footing the bill.
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The Technical Evidence Behind the Theory
If you have been tracking the charts closely, the pattern feels almost mechanical. The drops hit with strange consistency. Some analysts argue this does not look like random panic selling. It looks programmed.
BITCOIN PRICE MANIPULATION?
Jane Street, the major trading firm and liquidity provider, has been accused of repeatedly pushing the Bitcoin market lower to accumulate at better prices. Now they rank as the second-largest buyer of IBIT in Q4 2025. That alone tells you a lot about… https://t.co/AF9oI7cYMF
— sunnydecree (@sunnydecree) February 17, 2026
The timing stands out. Pressure often ramps up around the U.S. open. Price gets pushed into obvious liquidity zones where retail stop losses sit. Liquidations cascade. Then, later in the session, price stabilizes or even rebounds. That kind of behavior suggests strategic execution rather than emotional dumping.
In traditional markets, similar tactics are sometimes described as aggressively targeting the close or exploiting liquidity pockets. In crypto, where oversight is still evolving, these strategies can have an outsized impact.
It is frustrating for retail traders. But this type of volatility is not new. Sharp intraday flushes often clear weak hands while longer-term holders simply ride out the noise.
So, is the game rigged? It certainly feels like it when you get stopped out of a trade, but don’t let the headlines fool you. While these “slaps” are painful in the short term, the fact that Jane Street is accumulating billions in the IBIT ETF is actually a bullish signal for the long term.
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