Arthur Hayes, the founder of BitMEX, made significant statements regarding the current state of the cryptocurrency market at the Token2049 event held in Singapore.

Stark Warning Against Interest Rate Cuts in the U.S.

Hayes harshly criticized the Federal Reserve's decision to lower interest rates, suggesting that this could lead to a downturn in the markets in the short term. He stated, "The Fed's interest rate cut is a huge mistake while the U.S. government prints and spends more money than ever in peacetime."

The Strengthening Japanese Yen and Its Market Impact

Hayes emphasized that the strengthening of the Japanese yen was a significant factor in the global market crash at the beginning of August, warning of the potential for similar financial stress to reoccur. He expressed, "We will see a repeat of this financial stress."

He highlighted the possible effects of "carry trade" transactions where investors utilize low-interest foreign currencies to open leveraged positions, drawing attention to the risks of unwinding these positions due to currency fluctuations.

Hayes also noted that the declining interest rates could be beneficial for DeFi yields and ecosystems like Ethereum. He remarked, "If yields drop quickly, Ethereum becomes money, and I can earn more... we can revive the Ethereum bull market."

Although Hayes acknowledged that interest rate cuts could negatively impact the overall market, he argued they might create favorable conditions for altcoins. He believes that lower interest rates will boost DeFi yields and help Ethereum rise again.