Hyperliquid Taps Famous Crypto Lawyer for CEO in $28 Million Initiative

Hyperliquid has officially entered the US policy arena with the launch of the Hyperliquid Policy Center, a lobbying and regulatory advisory group focused on decentralized finance (DeFi).

The center will be led by prominent crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky, marking a significant step as the industry increasingly engages with Washington, D.C.

Hyperliquid Launches $28 Million DeFi Policy Center, Names Jake Chervinsky CEO

Chervinsky, the inaugural CEO, brings extensive experience advocating for the crypto sector at Capitol Hill. He previously held senior positions at the Blockchain Association trade group and venture firm Variant, and served as an associate at Baker McKenzie.

“We’re in a moment where the U.S. faces a large challenge to rewrite the rules for the new chapter of DeFi,” Fortune reported, citing Chervinsky.

He added that the center aims to help Congress and federal agencies understand DeFi technology and provide expertise for crafting regulatory frameworks that integrate DeFi into the broader financial system.

Current US regulatory structures, Chervinsky notes, were built in an analog era and struggle to accommodate innovations like decentralized protocols. These allowed users to swap assets on automated platforms without centralized control.

One of the center’s top priorities will be designing a legal framework for perpetual derivatives with no expiration. According to Chervinsk, this offers simpler, more direct exposure to underlying assets compared to options or futures.

Perps currently dominate offshore crypto markets but remain largely absent from mainstream finance.

$28 Million HYPE Funding Fuels Hyperliquid Policy Push Amid Treasury Expansion

To support its work, the Hyperliquid Foundation has committed 1 million of its native HYPE tokens, valued at roughly $28 million, to fund the new center.

Joining Chervinsky on the founding team are:

• Policy Counsel Brad Bourque, formerly of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and
• Policy Director Salah Ghazzal, previously Policy Lead at Variant.

The center is actively hiring for Chief of Staff, Head of Communications, and Head of Government Relations positions.

Meanwhile, the announcement comes just a week after Hyperliquid Strategies Inc. released financial results highlighting an aggressive treasury expansion.

The publicly listed digital asset treasury deployed $129.5 million to acquire 5 million additional HYPE tokens at an average price of $25.9 per token.

The report also noted substantial paper losses linked to recent crypto market volatility. It explains why even with the latest news, the network’s powering token, HYPE, has shown little movement.

“This is forced sell pressure, but it’s short-term pain for long-term gain,” commented one user.

Notwithstanding, the Hyperliquid Policy Center signals a growing trend of crypto platforms moving from industry-agnostic advocacy to structured policy engagement.

While other groups like the DeFi Education Fund have already established a presence, Chervinsky argues that the new center will play a distinct role:

“…providing Congress with technically informed guidance at a critical moment for U.S. DeFi regulation,” he added.

The success of Hyperliquid’s $28 million policy push could serve as a benchmark for how the industry balances innovation with regulatory compliance.