Max Hamaha Emerges Victorious in WhiteBIT’s 2025 International Crypto Trading Cup
Max Hamaha outmaneuvered seven elite traders to win WhiteBIT’s inaugural 2025 International Crypto Trading Cup, pocketing a portion of the $5 million prize bounty as the sole survivor of a titillating live trading e-sports style event over two days.
On May 9–10, 2025, the crypto world witnessed a historic event that redefined competitive trading: the International Crypto Trading Cup (ICTC) 2025, the first-ever live-streamed global crypto trading championship, sponsored by WhiteBIT, Europe’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by traffic.
This e-sports-style showdown brought together eight elite traders from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, each of whom started with $50,0000 in a stablecoin to trade with, all competing for a prize pool of up to 5 million USDT.
With expert commentators, in-depth strategy analysis, live trader interviews motes, and exclusive interviews, ICTC 2025 set a new benchmark for an e-sports style event in crypto, bringing together the traders for an event unlike any other.
The Exciting Format of ICTC 2025
The event’s e-sports-like format, with traders competing under intense conditions—no bots, no external tools, and a minimum of three trades per hour—mirrored the high-stakes drama of poker or gaming championships. TradingView, the official technological partner, powered the live trading platform, while Tether, a title sponsor, ensured a secure and stable prize pool, denominated in a special stablecoin produced exclusively for the event called USDB.
More than a competition, ICTC 2025 was a platform for learning. “Our mission is mass blockchain adoption, and with ICTC, we aim to make crypto trading accessible and exciting in a brand-new format,” Nosov added.
The event’s educational focus allowed viewers to analyze professional strategies, engage in live discussions, and compare their own approaches with the pros. Live interviews with traders offered exclusive insights into their mental preparation, risk management, and market navigation, making every trade a lesson.
Challenges Faced by Traders
Driven by the event’s format, traders ventured into uncharacteristically risky bets over the two days, which tested their skills and posed unique challenges that tested the limits of their strategies.
Taking positions with 50x or 100x leverage created risky conditions that traders were willing to take due to the nature and format of the tournament.
However, some traders faced challenges, such as glitches with the internet and trades with abnormal slippages that resulted in unexpected profits.
Despite the challenges, the winner of the event, Max Hamaha, emphasized the unique conditions of the competition that pushed him out of his comfort zone and forced him to take risks he wouldn’t normally take.
The Future of Competitive Crypto Trading
Many believe that competitions like ICTC 2025 could carve a new niche in crypto culture, blending intellectual rigor with real-time drama. As Alex Kozenko, WhiteBIT’s CMO, highlighted, “this is the first event where anyone could test their skills in real-time, against seasoned professionals. We look forward to organizing this event again next year.”