What happened:
The cryptocurrency $ALPACA was delisted from Binance, which usually causes panic and price drops.
Surprisingly, instead of crashing, $ALPACA pumped by 4500% in just 10 days. That’s a massive price surge.
Why this is big:
Many traders shorted $ALPACA thinking it would crash after the delisting.
But because the price rose sharply, short-sellers were forced to buy back in to cover losses — this is called a short squeeze.
As a result, $300 million in short positions were liquidated — meaning those traders lost their money as the price went up instead of down.
Why it’s going viral:
It defies typical market expectations.
It's dramatic (huge % gain, big losses, unexpected outcome).
Crypto users love short squeezes — it feels like “revenge” against traders betting against a coin.