Hyperliquid opens policy center to influence DeFi and derivatives laws

Crypto platform Hyperliquid has entered Washington’s policy arena, launching a new advocacy group focused on influencing decentralized finance regulation in the United States.

Hyperliquid’s initiative reflects growing industry efforts to ensure decentralised finance, blockchain infrastructure, and derivatives markets are included in future regulatory frameworks.

The organisation plans to engage policymakers directly as blockchain platforms expand their presence across financial systems and trading markets.

Policy launch

The Hyperliquid Policy Center launched on Wednesday in Washington, DC, naming crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky as founder and chief executive.

He previously served as legal head at crypto venture firm Variant and held a senior policy role at the Blockchain Association.

The organisation will focus on regulatory clarity for decentralised finance, particularly blockchain financial infrastructure and perpetual derivatives.

These sectors have expanded rapidly but remain subject to regulatory uncertainty across multiple jurisdictions.

The policy centre aims to help establish a defined regulatory path for decentralised finance to operate within the United States and participate in regulated financial markets.

The organisation will also work to ensure blockchain innovation is considered in evolving financial policy discussions.

Platform expansion

Hyperliquid operates as a layer 1 blockchain and perpetual futures exchange.

The platform has gained traction as traders shifted toward commodities-linked trading during broader market declines.

It has also expanded into blockchain-based prediction markets, reflecting growing demand for decentralised trading tools.

The Hyper Foundation, an independent body supporting the ecosystem, will fund the policy centre’s launch with 1 million HYPE tokens.

The token was trading at $9 at the time of writing, providing financial backing for advocacy and regulatory engagement.

The funding highlights the ecosystem’s commitment to influencing policy as blockchain-based derivatives, prediction markets, and financial infrastructure continue expanding.

Regulation debate

The launch comes as Congress works on legislation defining how regulators oversee crypto markets.

The crypto market structure legislation bill remains stalled in the Senate due to disagreements over stablecoin provisions and regulatory authority.

Hyperliquid’s leadership said the timing reflects growing urgency for decentralised finance platforms to engage directly in regulatory discussions as lawmakers shape crypto oversight frameworks.

Hyperliquid co-founder and CEO Jeff Yan said on X that it was a “critical time in policy discussions” in the US and that the platform had “lacked a unified voice in important policy discussions until now.”

The company also highlighted growing adoption of blockchain technology by traditional financial institutions, particularly for trading systems, settlement processes, and financial infrastructure.

This trend has increased pressure on regulators to define how decentralised systems fit into existing financial oversight frameworks.

Policy team

The Hyperliquid Policy Center’s founding team includes policy director Salah Ghazzal, formerly Variant’s policy lead.

It also includes policy counsel Brad Bourque, previously an associate at Sullivan and Cromwell, a law firm linked to legal matters involving the collapsed crypto exchange FTX.

The team brings legal and regulatory experience relevant to crypto policy development.

The centre represents a strategic effort to ensure decentralised finance and blockchain-based financial markets are represented in regulatory discussions.