Arthur Hayes Sells HYPE and NEAR Tokens Amid AI IPO Hype

Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, announced that he has divested from his holdings of Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Near Protocol (NEAR) tokens. Hayes, who previously predicted high price targets for these assets, stated that he has completely changed his strategy. Cointelegraph.com reports .

Hayes attributed this decision to rising energy prices due to conflicts in the Middle East, three major "AI IPOs" expected by the third quarter of 2026, and speculation that US President Donald Trump is pursuing anti-AI policies to win the midterm elections. In a post on social network X, he wrote that market peaks would occur by September and that it was time to realize profits.

According to Onchain Lens data, Hayes sold approximately 247,334 HYPE tokens worth around $18 million. These sales took place shortly after a $100,000 charitable bet between Hayes and Multicoin Capital founder Kyle Samani. Previously, Hayes had predicted that the HYPE price would reach $150 by August and that NEAR would grow 20-fold by 2027.

Currently, investors are closely monitoring the anticipated IPO processes of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, Anthropic, and Elon Musk's SpaceX. While SpaceX has already filed confidentially, Anthropic has engaged banks such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs for an October stock exchange listing.

Over the past 24 hours, the price of HYPE dropped by 8.4% to $65, while NEAR fell by 17.4% to $2.34. Market participants are analyzing how these large-scale sales and upcoming tech IPOs will affect liquidity in the crypto market.