
Arthur Hayes, Chief Investment Officer
Former: Co-Founder and CEO @ BitMEX
Arthur co-founded BitMEX in 2014, pioneering the cryptocurrency derivatives industry and leading the invention of the perpetual swap — which is now the most widely traded crypto financial product of all time, with volume in the tens of trillions of dollars. As a thought leader in the crypto space and co-founder of a profitable unicorn himself, he enjoys working with up-and-coming founders and advising projects directly. Arthur began his career as an equity derivatives trader for Deutsche Bank and Citigroup. He holds a BS in Economics from UPenn’s Wharton School of Business.

Akshat Vaidya, Head of Investments
Former: Head of Corp Dev @ BitMEX
Akshat led the team responsible for M&A, venture/strategic investments, post-deal integration and capital markets capabilities for BitMEX before departing in 2022 to focus on Maelstrom. He likes to work closely with founders on identifying product-market fit and preparing projects for the next round of investment. Akshat began his investing career executing buyouts and growth-stage investments in US-based middle-market companies. He holds a BS in Economics from UPenn’s Wharton School of Business.

PenguinRoi, Research Advisor
PenguinRoi conducts in-depth, technical research — including on everything from macroeconomic topics to new protocols — that feeds into Maelstrom’s thesis generation. PenguinRoi began his career at a Big Three management consulting firm. He holds a BS in Economics from UPenn’s Wharton School of Business.