Arthur Hayes Exits Risk, Sells $13M in Crypto as Whales Exit Positions
- Arthur Hayes sold over $13M in ETH, ENA, and PEPE, moving into USDC amid macroeconomic concerns.
- Whales dumped large amounts of SOL and ETH worth over $110M into major exchanges within 48 hours.
- The crypto market dropped 7.5% this week as weak U.S. job data and rising geopolitical risks increased investor caution.
A wave of panic selling has swept through the crypto market, with major players unloading large volumes of digital assets. Over the past 48 hours, multiple whale addresses have deposited tens of millions worth of cryptocurrencies onto major exchanges.
Arthur Hayes Moves to Stablecoins, Dumps Over $13 Million in Crypto
According to a post by Onchain Lens, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has liquidated a significant portion of his crypto portfolio. Blockchain data from Arkham Intelligence shows Hayes offloaded $8.32 million worth of ETH, $4.62 million in ENA, and $414,700 in PEPE.
These transactions pushed his holdings into USDC, which now makes up over 80% of the $27.9 million in his known wallet. In a social media post, Hayes confirmed ownership of the wallet and commented on potential market challenges.
He linked the ongoing volatility to U.S. trade tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. Some of these tariffs took effect on August 1, with more scheduled for August 7. Hayes added that sluggish global credit expansion is further limiting economic growth.
Whales Dump SOL and ETH in Massive Exchange Transfers
Other major holders followed suit, triggering further panic. A whale identified as KMhcqN transferred 108,016 SOL, worth around $17.74 million, to exchanges including OKX and Binance within eight hours.
Another whale, 0x3c9E, deposited 26,182 ETH—equivalent to $93.66 million—across Binance, OKX, Bybit, and Kraken over the past two days. These large-scale movements signal a cautious stance by high-cap investors. As selling pressure intensifies, broader market sentiment has turned defensive, with traders rushing to preserve capital in stable assets.
The broader crypto market has dropped more than 7.5% over the past week. Bitcoin, while outperforming the market, still recorded a 3.9% decline, now priced at $113,500. Ether fell by 6.5% to $3,500. Meanwhile, economic indicators added further strain. A weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report and fading hopes for interest rate cuts drove caution, as reported by CryptoNewsLand. However, after labor data signaled softening, rate cut expectations for September surged to 70%, according to Polymarket data.
