BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has doubled down on a bold forecast for altcoin Hyperliquid (HYPE), saying it will surpass Solana before the current bull cycle ends — and pushing a $150 price target for the token by the start of the second half of the year. Hayes made the remarks on X, arguing that Hyperliquid should at least overtake Solana during this “bull run.” He also said his own portfolio is in a bull market, despite some users calling the broader crypto market bearish. Hayes has disclosed holdings in HYPE as well as ZEC and NEAR, three alts that have posted strong moves recently. Where HYPE stands now - When Hayes first floated the prediction, HYPE was trading under the $70 psychological level with an approximate $15 billion market cap. Since then the token has pushed to a new all-time high above $73 and a roughly $18 billion market cap, overtaking Dogecoin to become the ninth-largest crypto by market cap. - For HYPE to eclipse Solana, its market cap would need to climb above about $48 billion — a move that would likely push the token price north of $100. Hayes remains confident the token can go further, reiterating a $150 target he has previously said could arrive by August as on-chain activity and DEX traction grow. Why Hayes believes in a bigger run Hayes expects rising use of the Hyperliquid decentralized exchange to raise platform fees and fuel token buybacks. The DEX reportedly directs up to 99% of fees toward buying and burning HYPE, a mechanism that could tighten circulating supply and support price appreciation as volume increases. A high-profile wager Hayes also threw down a challenge to Solana advocate Kyle Samani: a “charitable bet” in which Hayes would pledge $100,000 to a charity of Samani’s choice if HYPE outperforms any other current top crypto by market cap from now through year-end. He asked Samani to name which coin he thinks could beat HYPE. Performance snapshot - HYPE is the best-performing crypto among the top 10 by market cap year-to-date, up roughly 188%. Justin Sun’s Tron is the only other top-10 coin in the green this year, up about 23% YTD. - At the time of writing, HYPE trades near $73, up more than 5% in the last 24 hours (CoinMarketCap). Bottom line: Hayes is staking his reputation — and money in a proposed charitable wager — on Hyperliquid’s continued surge. Whether HYPE can sustain its rally and challenge established large-caps like Solana will depend on continued DEX adoption, on-chain volume, and whether buyback mechanics keep shrinking supply as Hayes expects. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news