🚨📉 Arthur Hayes abandons HYPE and NEAR days after calling them the market’s “holy trinity”
Arthur Hayes, co‑founder of BitMEX and CIO of Maelstrom, surprised the market by announcing that he has fully closed his positions in Hyperliquid ($HYPE) and Near Protocol ($NEAR).
The decision comes just a few days after he publicly described HYPE, NEAR and ZEC as the market’s “holy trinity” during an interview, prompting a strong reaction among investors and analysts.
⚠️ Why did he sell?
According to Hayes, several factors increase short‑term risk for markets:
• The rise in energy prices due to the Middle‑East conflict and inventory replenishment.
• The arrival of large AI‑related OPIs, including Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX, which could absorb liquidity currently present in crypto.
• The possibility that Donald Trump adopts a more critical stance toward artificial intelligence ahead of the mid‑term elections, especially affecting projects considered AI‑native such as NEAR.
📊 Immediate market impact
The announcement triggered a rapid response from investors.
• HYPE fell 8.3%.
• NEAR plunged 17.8% over the past 24 hours.
The sells coincided with higher volatility and a wave of social‑media comments questioning the entrepreneur’s decision.
🔥 Community accuses pump‑and‑dump
X users harshly criticized Hayes, pointing out that he had publicly promoted both assets shortly before liquidating his positions.
Although pump‑and‑dump accusations multiplied after the announcement, Hayes did not respond directly to the criticism and announced that he will publish a detailed essay on June 9 to explain in depth the motives behind his move.
📌 In summary
Arthur Hayes completely liquidated his positions in HYPE and NEAR, citing macroeconomic risks, upcoming AI OPIs and possible regulatory changes.
The news caused strong drops in both assets and sparked an intense debate about the influence large investors wield over the market and the impact their decisions can have on token prices.
⚠️ Important notice
This information is based on Arthur Hayes’s public statements and market data as of June 4 2026. It does not constitute investment advice. Always perform your own analysis before making any decision.
