- An address likely linked to BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes received DeFi tokens worth $2.05 million.
- The transaction included 3,033.14 AAVE and 1,125,300 LIDO.
- Flowdesk sent the assets, suggesting a potential over-the-counter (OTC) purchase.
The altcoin narrative is gaining momentum as Ethereum begins to outperform markets.
ETH, SOL and XRP rose by up to 10% over the past 24 hours, while the largest cryptocurrency by market value remained steady above $118,600.
Amid shifting trends, crypto sleuths observed a notable transfer tied to a wallet believed to belong to BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes.
The address received 3,033.14 AAVE and 1,125,300 LIDO from trading firm Flowdesk, totaling approximately $2.05 million.
[ETHERSCAN] Arthur Hayes Wallet Receives 1.125M LIDO and 3,033 AAVE Worth $2.05M from Flowdesk, Pointing to Potential OTC Buy of DeFi Blue Chips$LDO $AAVE $ETH pic.twitter.com/axTBv2oRZo
— BecauseBitcoin.com (@BecauseBitcoin) July 17, 2025
This is larger than the average transfer.
The timing, size and parties involved have sparked debate within the crypto community.
Is Arthur Hayes accumulating DeFi blue-chip tokens in anticipation of an upcoming bull run?
Flowdesk’s role points to an OTC trade
The origin of the transferred assets adds to the intrigue.
Flowdesk is known for handling large trades on behalf of wealthy individuals and institutions.
The fact that the wallet received tokens directly from Flowdesk suggests an over-the-counter (OTC) arrangement.
OTC deals allow buyers to avoid slippage and maintain privacy compared with public exchange orders.
Participants often choose OTC trades to buy or sell vast amounts of digital assets without moving market prices.
Additionally, private holders frequently use OTC channels to acquire crypto for long-term holding strategies.
Why these two altcoins?
The purchase was not random. AAVE and LIDO rank among the most respected tokens in DeFi.
AAVE is one of the earliest and most trusted lending protocols.
Currently it is the second-largest project on the Ethereum blockchain by total value locked (TVL), having overtaken Circle in recent weeks.
ICYMI:@aave is currently the #2 business on @ethereum, based on TVL
Aave overtook @circle in the past week@Tether_to remains #1 pic.twitter.com/yFZkEfPp10
— Token Terminal 📊 (@tokenterminal) July 16, 2025
Aave’s multichain ambitions and the upcoming V4 upgrade continue to draw community attention.
Meanwhile, Lido is the dominant player in Ethereum staking infrastructure.
It enables users to stake ETH while providing liquidity through stETH.
This year Lido launched the Lido Impact Staking (LIS) initiative to channel sustainable funding toward projects with social impact.
AAVE price outlook
AAVE is trading around $325 after gaining more than 10% last week.
Although it retraced slightly, down about 1.15% in the last day—likely profit-taking—AAVE’s bullish structure appears intact.
Prominent crypto analyst Javon Marks predicts significant upside, forecasting moves to $628, which would imply over a 90% gain from current levels.
He also suggests that in a broad bull market AAVE could extend to $1,200.
LDO set for 50% upside
Lido DAO’s native token has shown bullish signs, rising more than 4.6% in the past day.
Surging daily trading volume indicates renewed interest in the altcoin.
LDO trades around $0.9435 after a 20% increase over the past seven days.
Analyst CW identifies immediate resistance in the $0.95–$1.00 range.
The next sell wall for $LDO exists at $1.4. pic.twitter.com/9kv7pyhxsy
— CW (@CW8900) July 17, 2025
The token has established a reliable support zone between $0.66 and $0.72, suggesting stable performance.
With the next sell wall at $1.40, LDO holders could be positioned for nearly 50% gains if momentum continues.
Overall market sentiment supports bullish trajectories for both LDO and AAVE.