Hayes' Wallet Goes Full Yin-Yang: Dumps Alts, Snags $5.4M in ETH as Iran Deal Eases the Vibe 🧘

A wallet potentially linked to BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes received 3,000 ETH, valued at approximately $5.42 million, from market maker Flowdesk on June 15, according to on-chain tracker Lookonchain. The purchase followed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that the Iran deal had been completed and that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had resumed, removing a key geopolitical headwind for digital asset markets. Ethereum's price climbed nearly 6% to a high of $1,828 during the session, its strongest level in over a week, while Bitcoin topped $66.5K in the same window.

The acquisition reverses weeks of de-risking documented in Hayes's June 8 essay "Reality Test," in which the Maelstrom chief investment officer disclosed selling positions in Hyperliquid (HYPE), Near Protocol (NEAR), Worldcoin (WLD) and Zcash (ZEC). Hayes described those exits as defensive responses to macro uncertainty, including the anticipated SpaceX IPO, and explicitly identified Bitcoin and Ether as his remaining core holdings. On-chain data shows the same Hayes-linked address sold nearly $700,000 in WLD the prior week, while the broader market saw BTC bottom near $60,000 before bouncing toward $67,000.

The macro backdrop shifted decisively on Sunday when Trump authorized the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of the U.S. naval blockade, with a formal signing ceremony scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland. Crude oil prices initially moved more than 5% higher to around $80.53 per barrel before subsequently dropping to $75, the lowest level in two months, on expectations the deal would hold. Lower energy prices reduce inflation pressure and tend to support risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

Whale accumulation on June 15 extended beyond the Hayes-linked wallet. The address geministar.eth pulled 21,136 ETH, worth approximately $37.05 million, from Binance through a series of same-day transactions, bringing combined ETH purchases by the two wallets to more than $42 million. U.S. spot ETH ETFs recorded two consecutive days of net inflows totaling $32 million, underscoring renewed institutional demand.

Additional on-chain data indicates the Hayes-linked 0x795d wallet received 1,400 ETH worth $2.51 million from FalconX in subsequent transactions, bringing the address's total recent ETH accumulation to 4,400 ETH and its ETH holdings to approximately $7.8 million. The broader macro picture includes the first Federal Reserve rate decision under new Chair Kevin Warsh, with Ethereum trading near $1.76K and a noted upside target at $2.2K if $1.8K support is decisively reclaimed.