Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and a prominent figure in the Bitcoin world, is reportedly gearing up for a high-profile return to the sector.
His family office, Maelstrom, is seeking to raise at least $250 million for its first private equity fund, Maelstrom Equity Fund I, which hopes to acquire four to six mid-sized companies in the cryptocurrency space. According to Bloomberg reports.
Each investment is expected to range between $40 million and $75 million, with a focus on companies that provide trading infrastructure, data analytics, and other technology services for the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Arthur Hayes is best known for creating the perpetual swap, cryptocurrency trading platform BitMEX. He became the youngest African-American cryptocurrency billionaire He received a pardon From President Trump after BitMEX’s anti-money laundering failure.
“$BTC is for sale,” Hayes to publish On the tenth day. “If this regional US banking volatility develops into a crisis, be prepared for a 2023-like bailout. Then go shopping assuming you have capital buffer.”
Details of the Arthur Hayes Fund
The new chest is part of the hub for Maelstrom. While the company’s previous investments focused on tokens, the new vehicle will focus solely on stocks.
“You can’t artificially inflate value with a token that’s not being used in the off-chain world,” said Akshat Vaidya, co-founder and managing partner of Maelstrom.
By targeting off-chain cash generating companies, the fund will acquire companies with clearer valuations and sustainable growth potential.
Bloomberg reported that Maelstrom plans to structure each acquisition through special purpose vehicles (SPVs), with the fund as the lead investor.
Once acquired, these companies will undergo operational improvements, including management upgrades and growth acceleration, before being sold to major investors within four to five years.
According to Vaidya, the strategy attracts investors who want exposure to the high-growth, cash-flowing cryptocurrency sector but lack the in-house expertise to manage such investments directly.
Hayes’ resurgence comes amid a broader slowdown in private equity activity within cryptocurrencies. Deal making in this sector has declined sharply since 2022, following the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX business.
The Maelstrom Fund will be registered in the US and plans to attract a diverse group of backers, including cryptocurrency investors, family offices and institutional players such as pension funds.
Vidya said the fund aims for a first close by March 31, 2026, with the full raise completed by September 2026. Hayes will lead the effort alongside Vidya and newly appointed partner Adam Schlegel, with plans to expand the team as the fund grows, according to Bloomberg.
A series of high-profile acquisitions this year, including Coinbase’s $2.9 billion purchase of Deribit and Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, reveal some renewed investor confidence in the digital asset space.
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