Maelstrom Equity Fund I, a private equity endeavor so audacious it could only be conceived by a man who’s spent more time in the crypto trenches than a Victorian gentleman in a rainstorm, aims to raise a staggering $250 million. This sum, if invested wisely (or not), could buy a small island, a few crypto startups, or a lifetime supply of existential dread. Bloomberg, that paragon of journalistic integrity, first reported the scheme, while the fund itself, with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, plans to acquire six “profitable” firms-presumably ones that don’t require a PhD in blockchain to understand. The fund promises exits so straightforward, even a goldfish could grasp them-no stock options, no earn-outs, just cash. A marvel of modern finance, if you ignore the fact that it’s all built on the shaky foundation of cryptocurrency, which is as stable as a house of cards in a hurricane. Hayes and his allies, ever the optimists, hope these firms will one day be snapped up by titans like Robinhood, Charles Schwab, or X. One can only imagine the chaos that would ensue.