WhiteBIT Honors World’s Top Trader at First Live International Cryptocurrency Trading Cup
Ukraine’s Max Hamaha made history with an emotional victory in a globally watched tournament, as his name lit up in the middle of El Clásico – the most anticipated football match on the planet.
WhiteBIT, Europe’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by traffic and official crypto partner of FC Barcelona, has successfully hosted the International Cryptocurrency Trading Cup 2025 (ICTC 2025) – the first live global tournament to bring cryptocurrency trading to the stage as a top-level competitive sport. Taking place on May 9–10, ICTC 2025 is a milestone that affirms the potential of digital financial trading as a modern form of esport.
Live Trading – Intense, Exciting and Transparent
The event brought together eight top traders from around the world, competing live on stage in front of millions of global viewers. Over 12 hours of trading (6 hours per day), a total of 269 trades were executed, providing a true look at technical analysis, risk management and decision-making skills under high pressure.
In addition, ICTC 2025 also attracted 33 teams, including the two largest teams with 369 and 298 members respectively, along with about 3,000 individual traders worldwide to cheer and learn.
Max Hamaha – Journey from the bottom to the top
The main character of the tournament – Max Hamaha from Ukraine – wrote a fairy tale. Despite finishing last on the first day, he showed extraordinary courage when he made a spectacular comeback on the second day. With a bold decision to bet on ETH long, Max brought home a rPNL of 7,488.84 USDT, officially taking the crown after 47 trades – the second highest number in the tournament.
Sharing about his journey, Max said:
"Trading live on stage was an unforgettable experience — much more stressful and dramatic than trading at home. I had to adjust my strategy to suit the competition format, but still stick to the style of intraday trading with high leverage. WhiteBIT has pioneered a new trend — bringing crypto trading into the world of real competitive sports."
The next two spots on the podium were occupied by Merlijn The Trader from the Netherlands with a rPNL of 6,745.96 USDT and Eugene Loza (EXCAVO) – another veteran trader from Ukraine – with a rPNL of 4,098.90 USDT.
Impressive numbers and valuable lessons
Alongside the winner, Malik Roth Klindt Jensen (Coinvo) made his mark with the most profitable trade of the tournament – 12,249 USDT on the ETH_PERP pair. On the other hand, another ETH_PERP trade saw the biggest loss: -10,725 USDT, demonstrating the high level of risk in futures trading.
All traders used 50,000 USDTB – an internal asset provided by WhiteBIT – ensuring fairness, transparency and facilitating learning for global viewers.
El Clásico crowns a trading champion
One of the iconic moments was when Max Hamaha’s name was displayed on the stadium LED board during El Clásico, between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid – a sporting event that attracted hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. This was the first time a trader had been honored within the framework of such a prestigious football event.
A stage for top strategies
In addition to the competition, ICTC 2025 is also a treasure trove of real-life trading knowledge. Contestants shared their screens, entry strategies, and decision-making psychology in real time. From Mauro Ciami’s bold “go big or go home” style to Merlin and Excavo’s high-risk but effective overnight holding strategies – all were presented transparently to millions of viewers.
Marc Principato, host and market technical expert at WhiteBIT, shares:
"What the audience will learn from ICTC goes beyond textbooks — it's real-world lessons from experts who are willing to put their names on the line to prove their strategies."
Building the foundation for the future of trading
Volodymyr Nosov, Founder and Chairman of WhiteBIT Group, commented:
"With ICTC 2025, we're not just hosting a competition — we're creating a community, inspiring, and building a foundation for a new generation of traders. We want to turn this event into a recurring, global, and ever-growing tournament."
ICTC 2026 Registration Opens
Soon after the resounding success of the first tournament, WhiteBIT has officially opened registration for ICTC 2026, calling on traders from all over the world to test their skills, connect, and continue writing global trading history together.