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Arthur Hayes Sold His WLD Tokens Days After His Own Fund Hyped It — Here's Why That Matters

June 8, 2026, 7:02 AM UTC (116 days ago) · 1 source · Summarized by CryptoBipto

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes reportedly offloaded his Worldcoin (WLD) holdings just days after his investment fund Maelstrom publicly promoted WLD as a compelling AI-related investment play. The move has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and the ethics of promoting a token before selling it.

WHY IT MATTERS

Imagine a famous stock market investor going on TV to say 'Buy this company's stock — it's going to be huge!' and then quietly selling all their own shares the next day while the price is pumped up from everyone else buying. In traditional finance, that's illegal. In crypto, the rules are murkier. This situation with Arthur Hayes and Worldcoin (WLD) is essentially that scenario. It matters because it shows that even well-known crypto figures may not always have your best interests in mind when they promote a token. The lesson for beginners: always ask 'Does this person benefit from me buying this?' before acting on anyone's recommendation.

The timing of Arthur Hayes' WLD sell-off is drawing significant scrutiny from the crypto community. Maelstrom, the family office and investment fund Hayes oversees, had recently pitched Worldcoin as an attractive way to gain exposure to the AI sector — essentially framing it as an 'AI IPO' play.

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