Hyperliquid starts DeFi lobbying group with $29 million token backing

Policy Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Hyperliquid starts DeFi lobbying group with $29 million token backing Jake Chervinsky, CEO of the Hyperliquid Policy Center, said markets are migrating to blockchain, and the U.S. need to adopt new rules of risk being left behind. By Krisztian Sandor | Edited by Jesse Hamilton Feb 18, 2026, 3:07 p.m. Make us preferred on Google Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Harold Mendoza/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk) What to know : Popular decentralized exchange Hyperliquid launches a Washington, D.C.-based policy group focused on decentralized finance rules, joining an already crowded field of crypto policy organizations. Crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky will lead the group's advocacy on perpetual derivatives and blockchain markets. Hyper Foundation has committed 1 million HYPE tokens worth nearly $29 million to fund the initiative. Hyperliquid (HYPE), a blockchain-based exchange that processed more than $250 billion in perpetual futures trading last month, has launched a U.S. lobbying and research arm aimed at shaping how lawmakers regulate decentralized finance (DeFi). The Hyperliquid Policy Center , a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, will focus on regulatory frameworks for decentralized exchanges, perpetual futures and blockchain-based market infrastructure, according to a Wednesday press release . STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the State of Crypto Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms & conditions and privacy policy . Jake Chervinsky, a prominent crypto lawyer and former policy head at the Blockchain Association, will serve as founder and CEO. The launch comes as Congress and federal agencies debate how to oversee crypto trading platforms and derivatives markets. Perpetual futures, which allow traders to hold leveraged positions without an expiration date, are widely used on offshore venues but remain a gray area under U.S. law. The arrival of a new group also represents just the latest entrant into a Washington crypto-policy scene that's jammed with similar organizations, including the DeFi Education Fund and Solana Policy Institute, in addition to the broader groups such as the Digital Chamber, Blockchain Association and Crypto Council for Innovation. And the new organization lands as negotiation is well underway on Senate legislation that may set U.S. DeFi policy. Hyperliquid operates a decentralized exchange that lets users trade perpetual futures directly on blockchain rails without a central intermediary. Instead of routing trades through a traditional broker or clearinghouse, transactions settle onchain. The platform has emerged as one of the fastest-growing venues in crypto derivatives. It handled more than $250 billion in perpetual trading volume and $6.6 billion spot volume over the past month, DefiLlama data shows. "Financial markets are migrating onto public blockchains because they offer efficiency, transparency and resilience that legacy systems cannot match," Chervinsky said in a statement. "Now the United States must choose: We can either adopt new rules that allow this innovation to flourish here at home, or we can wait and watch as other nations seize the opportunity," he added. The new policy group plans to brief lawmakers, publish technical research and advocate for rules tailored to decentralized systems, the press release said. The Hyper Foundation, which supports the Hyperliquid ecosystem, is contributing 1 million HYPE tokens, worth roughly $29 million, to fund the launch. While that's less than was committed to the launch last year of the Ripple-backed National Cryptocurrency Association, it's much more than the $5.6 million the Digital Chamber spent in 2024 or the $8.3 million spent by the Blockchain Association, according to public filings . Hyperliquid Crypto lobbying Jake Chervinsky More For You Zoomex: Precise Systems of Fairness and Transparency by Design By CoinDesk Jan 31, 2026 Commissioned by Zoomex Read full story More For You CFTC's Selig opens legal dispute against states getting in way of prediction markets By Jesse Hamilton | Edited by Nikhilesh De 23 hours ago Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig fired a legal warning shot defending his agency's jurisdiction over the event contract space. What to know : U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig directed his agency to file an amicus brief declaring his federal agency has authority over the U.S. prediction markets. Though the CFTC once fought a legal resistance against such firms as Polymarket and Kalshi, the agency has embraced them during the administration of President Donald Trump, whose son has worked as a paid adviser for the leading companies. 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