Arthur Hayes makes a significant return to crypto investment: deeply laying out the DATs digital asset financial track, strategic differences emerge within the Maelstrom fund.

Arthur Hayes, a figure in the encryption industry, has returned to active investor status as a market commentator five months after being pardoned by President Trump. His family office, Maelstrom Fund, is focusing on the digital asset treasury (DATs) sector, in addition to investing in DeSci projects and political Meme coins, but this strategy has faced public scrutiny from ordinary partners within the fund. This article provides a deep analysis of the shift in Arthur Hayes' crypto investment strategy and its potential significant impact on the market.

Major Comeback: From Pardon to Active, Arthur Hayes Once Again Becomes the Market Focus

Arthur Hayes has clearly returned to the active cryptocurrency investment space after a prolonged period of silence. In addition to DeSci (decentralized science) projects and political Meme coins, he has shown a particular interest in DATs (digital asset treasuries). Five months ago, President Trump pardoned him for money laundering charges he faced in 2022, but since then he has primarily played the role of a passive observer. This situation has now changed, and he is likely to become a significant market mover. President Trump has had a huge impact on the crypto community, but his pardons of several CEX co-founders have been an underrated event. The most notable among these figures is Arthur Hayes, who has spent most of the past few months observing and commenting on the market without direct involvement. However, now he is acting again as a major investor.

Portfolio Insights: The Triple Focus on DeSci, Political Meme Coins, and DATs

His one million dollar investment in Bio Protocol led to the altcoin soaring over 20%, reaching a three-month high. However, a recent report pointed out a particular area of interest for Arthur Hayes: the digital asset treasury (DAT) company. It is important to clarify that Arthur Hayes has a clear interest in DeSci tokens like BIO. This broad interest in projects related to science and human longevity has also led him to invest in stem cell researchers, new artificial intelligence use cases, and other non-encryption fields. Speculative encryption assets like political Meme coins also occupy a significant portion of his portfolio. In a recent interview, he reiterated his endorsement of political Meme coins, especially those associated with President Trump.

Strategic Differences: Internal Risk Warning on DAT Investment from Maelstrom Fund

According to reports, Arthur Hayes' family office, the Maelstrom fund, has invested in three DAT companies. It is currently unclear which specific companies are involved and what the investment amount from Maelstrom is, but Hayes is an advisor to the treasury company Upexi on the Solana chain, which may or may not be one of the three mentioned recipients of investment. Regardless of the scale of these investment commitments, it can be confirmed that they are quite substantial. Specifically, a key leader of his fund is publicly expressing skepticism about this strategy, and if this were just a small investment, such a situation seems unlikely to occur. Akshat Vaidya, the general partner of the Maelstrom fund, claimed, 'I believe that the collapse of a major DAT will trigger a domino effect that ends this bull market cycle.' Meanwhile, Arthur Hayes himself has discussed these concerns but generally seems to hold an optimistic attitude. Despite facing legal setbacks, his unique analysis has already made him an influential figure in the crypto community. Now that he has become an active market participant again, he is bound to leave a profound mark on the ecosystem.

Conclusion

Arthur Hayes' return to the arena and substantial allocation of his capital to the emerging sector of DATs marks a shift in his investment focus from purely trading platforms to a deeper extension into encryption infrastructure and asset management. This not only acknowledges the potential of the DATs model but may also trigger follow-on investments in such projects from the market. However, the rare strategic disagreements within the Maelstrom fund, particularly the general partners' harsh warning that "the major DAT collapse could end this bull market," have sounded the alarm for this investment frenzy. This reveals the enormous systemic risks and liquidity concerns that may be hidden behind the rapid development in the DATs field. For investors, while following KOL trends, it is essential to deeply scrutinize the asset transparency, risk management capabilities, and sustainability of individual DAT projects. Although Hayes' moves are indicative, whether the DAT sector can truly withstand market tests still requires time and extreme market conditions to validate. Cautious optimism and a focus on fundamentals should be the core strategy for current market participants.