Hyperliquid Launches DC Policy Center with $29M
DeFi protocol Hyperliquid has launched a DeFi Policy Center in Washington D.C. to proactively shape U.S. crypto regulation. The initiative is backed by a $29 million pledge in the protocol's native $HYPE token to fund its advocacy and research efforts.
- The policy center will be led by Jake Chervinsky, a well-known crypto lawyer who previously served as the policy head at the Blockchain Association. His official title will be founder and CEO of the new organization. - The initiative aims to develop a legal framework for perpetual contracts, which are widely used on offshore platforms but currently exist in a legal gray area in the United States. - The funding of approximately $29 million in HYPE tokens is intended to support the center's operations, which will include briefing lawmakers, publishing technical research, and advocating for rules specifically designed for decentralized systems. - Hyperliquid itself is a high-performance Layer-1 blockchain with its own custom consensus algorithm called HyperBFT, designed to support its integrated decentralized exchange (DEX) for perpetual futures trading. - The protocol was co-founded by Jeff Yan, who previously co-founded the centralized exchange Chameleon Trading and has a background in mathematics and computer science from Harvard. - Unlike many other crypto projects, Hyperliquid was self-funded and did not take money from venture capitalists, with the majority of its HYPE token airdrop going to the community and users. - In January 2026, Hyperliquid's decentralized exchange processed over $250 billion in perpetual futures volume, highlighting its significant market presence in the DeFi derivatives space. - The policy center's team also includes Policy Counsel Brad Bourque and Policy Director Salah Ghazzal, who will work alongside Chervinsky.
