Arthur Hayes buys 244,406 UNI for $1.73M in quiet OTC deal
Arthur Hayes, BitMEX co-founder, purchased 244,406 UNI tokens for $1.73M at $7.06 each via Flowdesk OTC. This follows a smaller purchase in November 2025. Uniswap (UNI) is the governance token of the largest decentralized exchange by historical volume, with holders voting on protocol changes. The OTC trade aimed to minimize market impact.
How this was made

The 30-second read
Why it matters
The OTC purchase adds to known accumulation by a prominent crypto figure, offering insight into market sentiment.
Market read
New on‑chain whale activity may influence short‑term UNI price dynamics.
What to watch
Potential upcoming protocol upgrades not yet announced could be the real driver.
Background
Uniswap's UNI token is the governance token of the largest DEX by volume; whale activity is tracked by on‑chain analytics.
Ticker impact
Arthur Hayes purchased 244,406 UNI tokens for $1.73M via an OTC desk, a new on‑chain whale activity.
Potential short‑term upside if market perceives accumulation as bullish.
The purchase size is notable for UNI but not large enough to move the market dramatically; impact depends on subsequent buying.
Market effects
Highlights continued interest in DeFi governance tokens.
Primarily affects crypto markets globally.
Limited to crypto asset class.
Counterpoint
The buy could be a tactical hedge rather than bullish conviction.
Key entities
- individualArthur Hayes
Co‑founder of BitMEX, active crypto trader.
- crypto_tokenUniswap (UNI)
Governance token of the Uniswap decentralized exchange.



