Ukrainian trader Max Hamakha triumphed in the final of the first-ever live crypto trading championship — the International Crypto Trading Cup (ICTC 2025), organized by the cryptocurrency exchange WhiteBIT. The event took place on May 9–10, gathering eight leading crypto traders from around the world who competed on the same stage in real-time. Over the course of twelve hours, the traders executed 269 transactions, showcasing their mastery of complex trading strategies, risk management, and quick decision-making under pressure.
This is reported by Бізнес • Медіа
Impressive Competition Results
In addition to the main participants, ICTC 2025 featured 33 teams, with the largest comprising 369 and 298 traders, as well as around 3000 individual traders from various countries. Max Hamakha made a comeback from the last position thanks to a decisive long position in Ethereum, which earned him a profit of 7488.84 USDT and first place. He executed 47 trades, which was the second-highest number in the competition.
“Trading live on stage is an incredibly thrilling experience, significantly more intense and exciting than trading at home. I had to adapt my usual approach to the tournament rules, but I focused on active day trading with high leverage. I felt confident throughout, although the final minutes were tense as others went all-in,” shared Hamakha about his experience.
On the podium alongside Hamakha was trader Merlijn “The Trader” from the Netherlands (second place) with a result of 6745.96 USDT, and another Ukrainian, Yevhen Loza, who took third place with a profit of 4098.90 USDT. The highest profit of the tournament was achieved by Malik Roth Klindt Jensen from Coinvo, who demonstrated a sharp increase of 12,249 USDT.
Educational Aspect and Mass Appeal
The competition was broadcast live, with traders openly displaying their screens, strategies, and thinking in real-time. They utilized a dedicated asset from WhiteBIT worth 50,000 USDTB. The unique format of the event was not only competitive but also educational, thanks to the commentary from analysts.
“The lessons learned in this unique event are invaluable for both beginners and experienced traders. Risking one’s reputation and revealing secrets to the world is not something most professionals would dare to do,” noted ICTC host and technical analyst Mark Principato.
A significant moment was the appearance of Max Hamakha’s name on LED screens during the El Clasico match, a football game between Barcelona and Real Madrid, watched by millions. This marked the first time a winner of a crypto trading tournament was honored at such a high level.
WhiteBIT Group founder Volodymyr Nosov stated that this tournament paves a new path in the world of crypto trading: “It’s not just about trading — it’s about building a community, sharing knowledge, and accelerating the global adoption of blockchain. ICTC 2025 is the first step towards understanding the needs of traders and the audience.” The organizers announced the opening of registration for ICTC 2026, inviting traders from around the world to join the new format of financial competitions.
Recordings of the broadcasts are available on the WhiteBIT YouTube channel.