Arthur Hayes On What Happens to Bitcoin If the Iran War Drags On

While the Middle East is plunging into war and global markets face rising uncertainty, Bitcoin has been holding up surprisingly well compared with many traditional assets.In this exclusive interview, Arthur Hayes, Co-Founder of Maelstrom, explains why markets may be underpricing the risk of a longer conflict between the US and Iran, how energy disruptions could impact inflation, and what it all means for Bitcoin and global liquidity. Hayes also shares why he believes this is currently a “no trade zone” — and why investors may need to wait for central banks to start printing money again. 00:00 Intro – War, inflation risks, and global markets 00:55 How does the US–Iran conflict change your outlook for markets and Bitcoin? 03:16 Why has Bitcoin held up during the crisis? 05:24 Could war spending trigger more liquidity and benefit Bitcoin? 08:28 How might central banks outside the US respond? 09:33 What is your medium-term outlook for Bitcoin? 11:25 What explains Bitcoin’s downturn over the past six months? 14:15 How quickly could AI disrupt the labor market? 17:57 Why does Bitcoin detect financial stress before other assets? 19:28 Why don’t you invest in AI companies? 22:18 Why are you still bullish on crypto long term? 23:59 Does AI abundance challenge the debasement trade? 26:30 How do cryptocurrencies fit into that future scenario? 27:05 What are you most excited about in crypto in 2026? 27:43 Why do you prefer living in Asia? 28:12 Outro Follow COINTELEGRAPH: Website: https://cointelegraph.com/ Telegram: https://t.me/cointelegraph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cointelegraph Twitter: https://twitter.com/cointelegraph Mobile app: https://linktr.ee/cointelegraph_mobile Cointelegraph covers everything Bitcoin, bringing you the latest news, prices, breakthroughs, and analysis, with emphasis on expert opinion and commentary from the digital currency community.