Hayes Bets Big on Crypto

BitMEX Co-Founder Arthur Hayes Family Office Aims to Raise 250 Million Dollars for New Crypto Fund A family office connected to Arthur Hayes, a co-founder of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, is reportedly seeking to raise 250 million dollars for a new private equity fund. The fund will focus on acquiring stakes in cryptocurrency companies. According to reports, the fund will be managed by Hayes alongside two associates. The strategy involves making a select number of investments, with plans to use between 40 million and 75 million dollars for each acquisition. The goal is to invest in as many as six different crypto businesses. This substantial fundraising effort signals a significant move from Hayes into the private equity space within the digital asset industry. After stepping down from BitMEX following legal challenges with U.S. authorities, Hayes has remained an influential and vocal figure in the crypto community. He frequently shares his market outlook and has been a notable commentator on macroeconomic trends affecting digital currencies. The new fund represents a shift from operating a crypto exchange to taking direct, controlling positions in other companies within the ecosystem. This approach suggests a long-term belief in the maturation and future growth of the crypto sector. By acquiring substantial stakes, the fund would have considerable influence over the direction of the companies it invests in. The reported strategy of making a limited number of large investments, rather than many small ones, indicates a targeted approach. The fund managers are likely looking for established companies with strong fundamentals that are facing challenges or are undervalued in the current market. The capital infusion would be used to stabilize, grow, or pivot these businesses under the guidance of Hayes and his team. This move comes at a time when the cryptocurrency market has shown renewed vigor and increasing institutional interest. While venture capital funding has been a primary source of capital for crypto startups, dedicated private equity funds focusing on acquisitions are a more recent development. Hayes’s entry into this space could pave the way for other high-profile crypto founders to launch similar investment vehicles. The expertise Hayes gained from building BitMEX from the ground up into a major derivatives platform is expected to be a key asset for the fund. His deep understanding of exchange operations, trading, and risk management could be particularly valuable for investing in other crypto financial service providers. The success of this fundraising endeavor will be closely watched across the industry. A successful close would not only provide substantial capital for the fund’s investments but also serve as a strong vote of confidence in Hayes’s ability to identify and nurture value within the crypto sector. It underscores a growing trend of crypto-native investors using their expertise and capital to consolidate and steer the industry’s development from within.

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