Maelstrom founder Arthur Hayes on Tuesday predicted Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) to climb significantly higher as governments ramp up liquidity to stave off a credit crunch.

Why Hayes Sees Bitcoin at $250,000

Speaking in an interview with Anthony Pompliano, Hayes argued that governments and central banks will increasingly resort to liquidity injections as fiscal spending, elevated bond yields and the enormous capital requirements of artificial intelligence strain financial markets.

"I think they’re going to print early and print often," Hayes said.

Rather than waiting for a 2008-style financial crisis before intervening, Hayes expects policymakers in the U.S., China, Japan and Europe to provide liquidity before stresses become systemic.

That could eventually leave investors wondering how Bitcoin reached $250,000 without an obvious financial crisis, he said.

Hayes pointed to recent Treasury bond-buyback efforts as an early signal, arguing that policymakers have effectively put a ceiling around the yields they are willing to tolerate.

He believes further intervention is likely if long-term Treasury yields remain elevated and latest measures could not solve underlying problem.

Bitcoin’s sharp rebound from around $63,000 to above $80,000 reflects the market beginning to price in that liquidity outlook, Hayes said.

BTC: ‘Stair-Step’ Rally, ETH: ‘Hated Rally’

Hayes doesn’t expect Bitcoin’s next advance to resemble the explosive rallies of earlier cycles.

With Bitcoin now a significantly larger asset, he expects a more gradual "stair step" higher as excess liquidity enters crypto markets.

Hayes sees Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) as an asymmetric opportunity, arguing years of underperformance have left it deeply unpopular. He expects institutional tokenization and excess liquidity to drive a potential "hated rally," as major companies increasingly use Ethereum infrastructure.

Hayes Favors Bitcoin Over Gold 10 to 1

Hayes remains bullish on gold as another beneficiary of monetary debasement, but his portfolio is significantly more tilted toward Bitcoin.

Asked about his allocation, Hayes estimated his Bitcoin exposure at roughly ten times his gold holdings.

He nevertheless favors diversification across scarce assets, including Bitcoin, gold and selected energy and commodity-related equities.

Hayes is less enthusiastic about real estate as an inflation hedge because of its illiquidity, high transaction costs and exposure to property taxes.

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