Arthur Hayes just reignited NEAR

May 26, 2026

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Arthur Hayes brings NEAR back in trader focus

Key points:

  • NEAR extended its sharp rally after Arthur Hayes doubled down on the token, tying its future to AI infrastructure, privacy rails, and cross-chain payments.

  • NEAR Intents has become the clearest product catalyst, after processing over $19 billion in volume and generating roughly $32 million in fees.

News - NEAR’s latest rally is being framed around more than a high-profile altcoin call. The broader thesis now links cross-chain utility, AI automation, and protocol-level revenue generation.

The token climbed to nearly $2.80 after gaining roughly 90% over the past month, with momentum accelerating after BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes repeatedly highlighted NEAR alongside Zcash and Hyperliquid as part of his “holy trinity” altcoin call.

Hayes later narrowed his focus even further, posting a long-term NEAR chart and telling followers to “pack your bags for da moon.”

Why NEAR Intents is becoming the centerpiece - Much of the recent attention has centered around NEAR Intents, the protocol’s cross-chain transaction system designed to simplify asset movement between blockchains.

The product allows users to execute swaps and transfers across ecosystems without manually navigating bridges, liquidity fragmentation, or multiple wallets. According to DefiLlama data, NEAR Intents has already processed more than $19 billion in cumulative volume while generating about $32 million in fees.

Hayes has argued the infrastructure could eventually make privacy-focused assets like Zcash more usable across the wider crypto economy.

AI narrative meets protocol revenue - The rally also overlaps with renewed interest in AI-linked blockchain infrastructure.

NEAR has increasingly positioned itself as infrastructure for autonomous on-chain applications, while investors now await a June upgrade introducing dynamic resharding aimed at improving scalability during heavy network demand.

Despite the recent surge, NEAR still trades far below its 2022 peak above $20.

Bitcoin, XRP countdown puts crypto hype on trial

Key points:

  • YoungHoon Kim says Bitcoin and XRP could see dramatic moves by June 2, but his past BTC and XRP calls have repeatedly missed major timelines.

  • His claimed +487% return is tied to a MyFXBook-verified forex account, not crypto-specific holdings, with reported drawdown above 70%.

News - Crypto’s latest viral countdown is asking traders to weigh social-media urgency against market reality.

YoungHoon Kim, the South Korean influencer who claims a 276 IQ, posted that crypto would turn “insane” starting in June, with Bitcoin set to “start the fire” and XRP expected to “shock the world.” His seven-day window points to June 2, putting BTC and XRP back in the spotlight as traders debate whether the call has substance or just reach.

The stronger takeaway is risk, not certainty.

Big claim, weaker track record - Kim says his IQ score is recognized by Official World Record and the World Memory Championships. However, the United Sigma Intelligence Association, which he founded, has stated that it does not conduct psychometric evaluations or certify IQ scores.

His crypto record also raises questions. Earlier Bitcoin calls for $100,000 within 48 hours, $220,000 within 45 days, and $300,000 by early 2026 did not materialize. A previous XRP all-time high prediction also missed its timeline.

Returns are not the same as signal - Kim’s claimed +487% return adds another wrinkle because public data links it to a forex account, not crypto holdings. That account reportedly showed maximum drawdown above 70% and a Sharpe ratio near 0.21, pointing to aggressive leverage rather than steady consistency.

Meanwhile, BTC was recently near $77,000, while XRP hovered around $1.35 to $1.37. With Bitcoin facing ETF outflows and XRP still far below its 2025 peak, Kim’s June call looks more like a high-risk social-media signal than a verified Bitcoin or XRP trading thesis.

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Strategy drains cash to protect its Bitcoin stack

Key points:

  • Strategy used $1.38 billion in cash to repurchase $1.5 billion of 0% convertible notes due 2029, cutting outstanding convertible debt to $6.7 billion.

  • The firm’s 843,738 BTC holdings remained untouched, even as smaller Bitcoin treasury firms added about 603 BTC during Strategy’s pause.

News - Strategy just showed how expensive it can be to protect a Bitcoin treasury without selling Bitcoin.

The company used $1.38 billion in cash to repurchase $1.5 billion of its 2029 convertible notes, securing the debt at an 8% discount to par. The deal cut outstanding convertible notes from $8.2 billion to $6.7 billion, while shrinking its cash reserve to $871 million.

That cash buffer had been built to support dividends, service debt, and reassure investors that Strategy would not need to offload Bitcoin during market stress.

Bitcoin stays untouched - The key signal was what Strategy did not sell.

Despite earlier concerns that the firm could use its full range of resources, including Bitcoin, to manage liabilities, Strategy’s 843,738 BTC holdings remained intact. The company holds those coins at an average purchase price of about $75,700, with total purchase costs near $63.9 billion.

Michael Saylor framed the week bluntly on X, writing, “This week we bought bonds, not bitcoin.”

Smaller treasuries step in - Strategy’s pause did not end corporate Bitcoin demand. Smaller treasury firms bought about 602.6 BTC worth roughly $46 million last week, including purchases by Strive, DDC Enterprise, The Smarter Web Company, and Hyperscale Data.

In a separate filing, Strive also reported buying 1,109 BTC in the four days ended May 22, lifting its holdings to 16,500 BTC and making it the seventh-largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder.

The shift suggests the Bitcoin treasury trade is becoming less about one company buying every dip and more about how different firms manage capital pressure while holding the asset.

Ethereum treasuries face a yield-or-fade test

Key points:

  • Staking made up 60% of disclosed revenue among six publicly listed Ethereum treasury firms in 2025, even as loss-making firms posted $1.41 billion in combined FY2025 losses.

  • BitMine bought 111,942 ETH last week, bringing its holdings near 5.4 million ETH, with more than 4.7 million ETH staked.

News - Ethereum treasury firms are learning that passive ETH exposure may no longer be enough.

A new Everstake study found staking accounted for 60% of disclosed revenue among six publicly listed ETH treasury firms in 2025. The shift comes as spot ETH ETFs weaken the old public-market advantage of companies offering Ethereum exposure through listed shares.

That pressure is landing beside heavy losses. Everstake reviewed 15 listed ETH treasury companies and found that firms with available FY2025 results posted $1.41 billion in combined losses. BitMine separately reported a $9.02 billion net loss for the six months ending February 28, largely tied to unrealized digital asset losses.

Staking becomes the defense layer - Everstake’s point is narrow but important: staking may be necessary, though not sufficient. ETH volatility, dilution, financing costs, operating expenses, and net asset value discounts can still outweigh yield.

Still, active deployment is becoming harder to ignore. Treasury firms are moving beyond standard staking into liquid staking, DeFi lending, MEV capture, and validator-level strategies.

BitMine doubles down as ETH weakens - BitMine bought 111,942 ETH last week for about $237 million, its largest ETH-denominated purchase this year, despite Tom Lee previously suggesting a slower buying pace.

The firm now holds nearly 5.4 million ETH, or about 4.47% of supply, and has staked more than 4.7 million ETH, generating roughly $276 million in annualized staking revenue.

The timing remains risky, with ETH near $2,100, Ethereum TVL down 55% from its August 2025 high, and analysts watching whether ETH could fall toward $1,800 if support breaks.

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Interesting facts

  • One of crypto’s oldest brokers is testing Wall Street’s mood: Blockchain.com, founded in 2011, has confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO after facilitating over $1.1 trillion in crypto transactions across users in more than 100 countries.

  • Retail crypto is cooling, but not collapsing: TRM Labs found that global retail crypto activity fell 11% year-over-year to $979 billion in Q1 2026, marking the steepest back-to-back decline since the 2022 bear market as macro pressure weighed on participation.

  • The “battery of Southeast Asia” is rethinking Bitcoin mining: Laos, once attractive to crypto miners because of cheap non-fossil energy, has been scaling back power supply to the sector and may stop supplying miners entirely after consumption fell from a peak of 500 MW to about 150 MW.

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Top 3 coins of the day

Render (RENDER)

Key points:

  • RENDER climbed to $2.41 on the 4H chart, extending its sharp move above the $2.20 to $2.30 breakout area.

  • The Parabolic SAR remains below price at $2.13, while the Squeeze Momentum Indicator rose to 0.292, showing firm upside acceleration.

What you should know:

RENDER’s latest 4H candles showed strong continuation as price pushed into the $2.40 to $2.42 zone, backed by visible volume expansion of 1.76M. The rally aligned with renewed capital rotation into AI and decentralized GPU infrastructure tokens, while Santiment data showing 394 daily active addresses and 118 new wallets added a specific network-activity boost. On the chart, the Parabolic SAR is still below the candles at $2.13, keeping the bullish trend structure intact. The Squeeze Momentum Indicator is also positive at 0.292, confirming stronger upside pressure. Holding above $2.20 to $2.30 keeps the breakout supported, while a move back toward $2.13 would signal fading trend control.

NEAR Protocol (NEAR)

Key points:

  • NEAR advanced to $2.86 on the 4H chart after reaching $2.91, prolonging its breakout above the earlier $1.60 to $1.70 resistance band.

  • The 9-day SMA sits at $2.69, while RSI is elevated at 79.59, showing strong but stretched momentum.

What you should know:

NEAR’s rally stayed firmly above its $2.69 9-day SMA, keeping the short-term trend intact after price pushed into the $2.90 to $2.91 resistance zone. Volume stood at 14.43M, confirming active participation behind the move, but RSI at 79.59 shows the rally is now overheated and vulnerable to cooling. The advance was supported by NEAR Intents crossing $19 billion in cumulative volume and generating over $32 million in fees, while the upcoming June dynamic resharding upgrade added a clear network-scaling catalyst. A hold above $2.69 keeps buyers in control, while weakness below that level could shift attention back toward the $1.60 to $1.70 breakout base.

Worldcoin (WLD)

Key points:

  • WLD slipped to $0.395 on the latest 4H candle after touching $0.414, showing profit-taking near the breakout high.

  • The Parabolic SAR remains below price at $0.31, while DMI shows strong buyer control with +DI at 46.24, -DI at 4.93, and ADX at 48.21.

What you should know:

WLD’s rally paused near the $0.40 to $0.414 zone after a sharp move from the $0.29 to $0.30 area, but the trend structure remains firmly bullish. The move was supported by World App’s Oku Trade integration, weekly swap incentives offering up to 100 WLD, and Eightco’s disclosure of over 283 million WLD in holdings. Volume also stood at 67.04M on the chart, matching the high-participation breakout. DMI remains strongly tilted toward buyers, with ADX at 48.21, while the Parabolic SAR at $0.31 keeps trend support intact. Holding $0.36 to $0.38 could stabilize the rally, while weakness toward $0.31 would signal a deeper reset.

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