BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has issued a bold call on Worldcoin (WLD), predicting the token could rally to $5 by August. The prediction, amplified by Hayes on social media, stems from a Maelstrom research note that views WLD as a high‑beta proxy for the coming wave of artificial intelligence IPOs.
The thesis centers on a massive short overhang, a potential balance‑sheet bid from Eightco Holdings, and a scheduled 43% cut in daily WLD unlocks on July 24. Hayes dismissed bears with his typical bluntness: “Read it and weep WLD bears. This shitcoin is going to moon … cause AI duh. Don’t mid‑curve this shit.”
Maelstrom’s note, titled “WLD Hated Rally,” argues that investors are desperately chasing exposure to private AI firms like Anthropic and OpenAI through expensive SPVs. Meanwhile, WLD trades at an unlocked market cap of just $2 billion — a fraction of the implied valuations of those private companies — offering what the firm calls “asymmetric upside.”
Short sellers have piled in following a March OTC round that raised $65 million (including $25 million locked for six months), pushing perp funding deeply negative. Maelstrom believes that shorts could be forced to unwind quickly once a catalyst arrives. Eightco Holdings (ORBS), which holds roughly 283 million WLD (≈8.3% of circulating supply) and reported $144 million in cash, could accelerate the move by allocating even a small portion of its balance sheet to the token.
At press time WLD was trading at $0.5192, meaning the $5 target implies a near 10x gain.
