[Recap] Crypto Trading Meets Esports: The Grand Cup 2025 Showcases Live Crypto Tourney in PH

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While cryptocurrency trading is typically a solitary pursuit conducted in the quiet of one’s home, it was not the case for The Grand Cup 2025.

On December 17, 2025, Crypto Esports League PH hosted this inaugural finals event, the first known trading competition formatted as a live esports tournament. Instead of trading from personal setups in private, competitors battled for the highest Profit and Loss (PnL) percentage live on stage, with pressure from a cheering crowd to secure the championship.

The Criteria: How Traders Showed Their Grit

There were 36 traders who registered for the tournament. But only 32 showed up: 13 traders for the first batch of the eliminations and 19 traders for the second batch of the eliminations.

For each round, traders will start with 1,000 USDT each. They will trade for an hour at the Hyperliquid testnet, which means no real money is being traded.

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Traders can either put a long or short position in either a market or limit order. The trading pairs are BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, and SOL/USDT.

• Long Position: Buying a futures contract at a specific price and taking profits if the price rises above the entry point.
• Short Position: Gains profit if prices fall by selling high via the futures contract and settling lower later.
• Market Order: For urgent trades in liquid markets but risk slippage from price volatility.
• Limit Orders: Provide precision, often lower fees as “maker” orders, yet may remain unfilled if prices do not hit the target.​

Moreover, during the elimination round, the stock markets of Asia and London were open.

• Normally, there is a correlation between the movement of stock markets and the volatility of the cryptocurrency market.
• It is because the two markets share macroeconomic pressures and investor behaviors.

Among the traders who joined the elimination round were The Resistant Trader, IceSteam Jimenez, and Marvin Faviz.

However, after the round, the organization held a quick huddle with traders and apologized, as some of them had experienced a glitch during the eliminations.

The Final Twelve

Out of the 32 participating traders, the top 12 best-performing traders in terms of PnL advanced to the next stage of the Grand Cup 2025. Five of these 12 came from the first batch of the eliminations, while seven came from the second batch.

The Final 12 (and their PnLs) were:

1. Ray Ray (+2.02%)
2. Da’Real (+1.20%)
3. TraderJ4y (+0.88%)
4. Ultm8 X (+0.40%)
5. DaddyEm (+0.17%)
6. Amaranth (+0.01%)
7. Gadon AI (-0.13%)
8. Mikee Agoncillo (-0.22%)
9. The Resistance Trader (-0.31%)
10. Big Boss (-0.41%)
11. Ares (-0.72%)
12. PlayerOne (-1.58%)

For this round, the Asian stock market has closed, but the New York stock market has opened. This means that traders battle under the influence of the stock markets of London and New York.

• The combination of these two stock markets can influence the crypto market more compared to during the elimination round; thus, a more volatile crypto market was expected during this round.

The Final Round

Out of the twelve finalists, the two traders with the highest PnLs advanced to the final round and went head-to-head against each other.

And they were Ultm8 X Gaming and DaddyEm Trader, who are both content creators.

During the round, Ultm8 X Gaming opened a long position, while DaddyEm Trader opened a short position. However, the crypto market favored Ultm8 X Gaming, with the BTC/USDT and two other pairs surging in green.

That was the narrative for the majority of the round. But the shoutcasters were speculating that this narrative may reverse at 10:20 p.m., though the final round will be until 10:24 p.m. only.

• In the New York stock market, 10:20 a.m. (local time) is when investors calm down after being reactive to the first two trading hours from the previous night’s news.

However, at 10:19 p.m., or five minutes before the final match ends, Daddy Em Trading conceded after posting a -10.0% PnL.

Awards and Prizes

Champion: Ultm8 X Gaming

• Prize: Trophy, 1,000 USDT, iPad

1st Runner-Up: Daddy Em Trading

• Prize: Trophy and 250 USDT

2nd Runner-Up: Ray Ray

• Prize: Trophy and 250 USDT

3rd Runner-Up: Big Boss

• Prize: Trophy and 250 USDT

4th Runner-Up: Da’Real

• Prize: Trophy and 250 USDT

Most Valuable Trader: Ray Ray

What is Next for Crypto Esports League?

After the finals match, Crypto Esports League PH’s Mj Aguilar announced an alpha: The Crypto E-Sports League Season 1, the Philippines’ first national crypto trading league.

“The crypto community has been hosting trading events, but they are just one-time events. There is no single league that upholds standards so we can have national recognition.”

Mj Aguilar, Crypto Esports League, statement translated in English

The announcement emphasized that the league will be open to franchisees who will own competing teams for the first season, which is set to launch in the second quarter of 2026.

The proposed timeline of the league is:

• Q2 2026: Round 1
• Q3 2026: Round 2
• Q4 2026: Grand Cup

There will also be a limit of eight teams, or franchisees, in a five-versus-five weekly tournament that will also be livestreamed. In addition, there is only one flagship season per year with no team expansion.

“We will continue to strengthen the fragmented trading communities here in the Philippines so that the education will continue to thrive.

Because more Filipinos will learn to trade, fewer people will be victims of online scams. That is the bigger impact that we are to create in this movement.”

Mj Aguilar, Crypto Esports League, statement translated in English

To achieve this goal, Aguilar stressed that the Crypto Esports League will conduct a campus tour to partner with different student organizations and promote trading-centric education.

“Trading communities are already here, but there is still no responsible league. We want to elevate traders in the Philippines.”

Mj Aguilar, Crypto Esports League, statement translated in English

The Grand Cup 2025

With a total prize pool of $2,000 USDT (around ₱118,000), the Grand Cup 2025 delivered stage production elements similar to esports tournaments, interactive booths, brand activations, and giveaways.

It had its inaugural Pilot Cup on November 8, 2025, in Bacoor, Cavite, introducing a cryptocurrency trading competition presented in an esports format.

BitPinas is a media partner of The Grand Cup 2025.

Worth Reading: Prize Pool Awaits as Crypto Trading Becomes a Spectator Sport in PH – Crypto Esports League

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