Arthur Hayes Sells HYPE and NEAR Before AI IPOs, Midterms

Arthur Hayes sold his entire holdings of HYPE and NEAR tokens and did not disclose when the trades occurred or the amount raised. Hayes identified expected initial public offerings by AI-focused companies and the upcoming U.S. midterm elections as reasons for reducing exposure.

He cited the prospect of AI IPOs drawing investor capital toward newly public tech names and said the midterm elections could increase short-term market volatility and shape regulatory priorities. He described the sales as a rebalancing of his personal crypto exposure in light of those events.

NEAR is the native token of the NEAR Protocol, a proof-of-stake layer-1 blockchain that supports smart contracts and decentralized applications. HYPE is a smaller token with limited public data on market capitalization and project scope compared with established layer-1 tokens.

Large token holders can affect price discovery and liquidity, particularly in lower-volume markets. There was no public response from teams or community representatives tied to HYPE or NEAR after the sales.

Hayes did not say whether he sold other crypto assets or whether he plans to redeploy proceeds into equities, cash equivalents, or other tokens. Market participants monitor large on-chain transfers and whale activity to assess possible price effects and shifts in investor behavior ahead of significant corporate listings and political events.