Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, has re-entered the Ether.fi ecosystem by purchasing 1.9 million ETHFI tokens worth approximately $1.17 million, according to blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain. The acquisition was made roughly four hours before the report and marks a clear reversal from Hayes’s earlier position: about four months ago he sold 265,461 ETHFI at $0.44 per token, totaling around $118,000 and taking a loss.
ETHFI is the governance token of Ether.fi, a liquid staking protocol on Ethereum that lets users stake ETH while retaining liquidity. At the time of reporting, ETHFI was trading near $0.62, a modest increase over 24 hours. The purchase signals renewed confidence in the protocol and the broader DeFi governance-token segment.
In a separate interview with Altcoin Daily, Hayes offered a bullish macro outlook. He said Ethereum is likely to outperform other major altcoins in the current rebound because of its large developer community and established DeFi ecosystem. Hayes projected that if Bitcoin reaches $200,000 within five years, Ethereum could climb to $30,000, while Bitcoin’s dominance could fall to about 40%. He also predicted Bitcoin could hit $126,000 by the end of the year, arguing that heavy U.S. government debt and Treasury issuance would eventually push the Federal Reserve to provide liquidity, benefiting hard assets like Bitcoin.
Hayes tempered some of that optimism by criticizing the proposed CLARITY Act, saying the U.S. crypto regulatory bill could hamper innovation rather than help it. His comments highlight both upside scenarios and regulatory uncertainty. Investors should view Hayes’s trades and price targets as one influential signal rather than a guaranteed outcome.
