Arthur Hayes has exited his entire Worldcoin position just days after his investment firm highlighted the token as a major beneficiary of growing investor interest in artificial intelligence related public offerings.
Key Takeaways
- Arthur Hayes sold his entire Worldcoin (WLD) position shortly after Maelstrom promoted the token as a strong AI investment opportunity.
- Worldcoin fell from above $0.60 to around $0.40, erasing much of its recent rally.
- Maelstrom researcher Lukas Ruppert recently projected WLD could reach $5 by August on the back of anticipated AI IPO momentum.
- The move adds to a growing pattern of Hayes making bullish calls before later exiting positions in assets such as Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Zcash (ZEC).
What Happened?
Arthur Hayes, co-founder of venture capital firm Maelstrom and former BitMEX CEO, has sold his entire Worldcoin position only days after his firm described the token as one of the most attractive ways to gain exposure to the AI investment narrative.
The sale came as Worldcoin’s recent rally lost momentum, with Hayes pointing to weakness in the SpaceX pre IPO perpetual futures market as a key factor behind his decision to exit.
Hayes Reverses Course on Worldcoin
Hayes revealed his decision in a post on X, sharing a chart of the SpaceX pre-IPO perpetual futures contract that had declined sharply in recent sessions.
This chart is going in the wrong direction. Dumped $WLD. I’m out. See y’all at the clerb. pic.twitter.com/TcfYzCmtSv
— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) June 6, 2026
The announcement surprised many market participants because it came shortly after Maelstrom published a bullish investment thesis on Worldcoin. Earlier in the week, Maelstrom researcher Lukas Ruppert described the token as an overlooked opportunity tied to the expected wave of major artificial intelligence public listings.
According to Ruppert, investor enthusiasm surrounding future AI mega IPOs could drive significant capital into projects associated with the sector, potentially pushing WLD to $5 by August.
The report helped spark renewed interest in Worldcoin and contributed to a sharp price rally.
Worldcoin Rally Quickly Reverses
Following the optimistic outlook from Maelstrom, Worldcoin climbed above $0.60, becoming one of the strongest performing cryptocurrencies among the top 100 digital assets by market capitalization.
However, the momentum proved short lived.
After Hayes disclosed that he had exited his position, Worldcoin reversed course and dropped sharply. The token fell nearly 19% in a single day, sliding back toward the $0.40 range after reaching recent highs.
At one point, WLD traded near $0.4329, reflecting a significant pullback from the levels reached earlier in the week.
Some investors also questioned the timing of the sale. Hayes had previously indicated that he planned to hold Worldcoin through the anticipated SpaceX IPO, which is expected to take place on Nasdaq around June 12. His decision to sell before that event led to criticism from traders who expected him to maintain the position longer.
A Familiar Pattern for Hayes
The Worldcoin exit is the latest example of Hayes rapidly changing his outlook on digital assets.
In March, Hayes predicted that Hyperliquid (HYPE) could reach $150 by August and later stated that the token would outperform other leading cryptocurrencies through the remainder of the year. Despite those comments, he sold his entire HYPE position only days later, citing concerns including rising energy costs, geopolitical tensions, inventory restocking, and the impact of upcoming AI focused public offerings.
A similar scenario played out with Zcash (ZEC).
Hayes previously argued that Zcash could eventually reach 10% of Bitcoin’s value. However, after a critical vulnerability was discovered in the project’s privacy infrastructure, he liquidated his holdings and declared that his investment thesis involving HYPE, ZEC, and NEAR was effectively dead.
Hayes Still Actively Trading
Despite the recent exits, Hayes continues to adjust his positions based on changing market conditions.
Blockchain data from Arkham Intelligence showed that a wallet linked to Hayes later purchased approximately 33,978 HYPE tokens worth around $2 million after the asset experienced a sharp decline. The purchase suggests Hayes remains willing to re enter positions when he believes valuations have become attractive.
His latest Worldcoin sale highlights how quickly sentiment can shift in the cryptocurrency market, especially when influential investors alter their views. While Maelstrom’s broader AI investment thesis remains intact, Hayes’ decision to step away from WLD has raised fresh questions about the token’s near term outlook.
CoinLaw’s Takeaway
In my experience, the biggest takeaway is not that Arthur Hayes sold Worldcoin, but how quickly market narratives can change when influential investors alter their positioning. I found it particularly notable that the sale came just days after a highly bullish $5 target was published.
While the long term AI narrative around Worldcoin may still attract investors, this episode shows that traders should focus on risk management rather than relying solely on high profile forecasts. The market often reacts faster to actions than to predictions.
