Solana-based decentralized exchanges reportedly handled more trading volume than giants like Binance and Bybit for stretches of late 2025, shifting more crypto price discovery directly onto the blockchain. While SOL has traded in a wide range this year, on-chain activity and volumes on Solana DEXes, such as Jupiter, Orca, and Raydium, continue to hit new records. This happens as traders look for faster, cheaper venues, and institutions route more activity into crypto ETFs and tokenized assets. What Does ...

The Hyperliquid Foundation is moving to permanently remove roughly $1 billion worth of its HYPE tokens from supply. This bold action comes as the token’s price slides to seven-month lows, struggling against a wave of doubt. The burn is a direct answer to fierce competition from newer platforms that are attracting traders with aggressive reward campaigns. What Does This Token Burn Actually Mean? First, let’s quickly define our terms. Hyperliquid is a major decentralized exchange (DEX) for navigating mark ...

Hyperliquid is heading into one of its most scrutinized moments yet, as a $314 million token unlock scheduled for Saturday intensifies concerns around transparency, market stability, and the long-term handling of its tokenomics. According to Tokenomist data, the perpetuals-focused decentralized exchange will release 9.92 million HYPE tokens in a single “cliff unlock,” equal to 2.66% of the total supply. Source: Tokenomist The entire allocation will be unlocked at once, a structure that has fueled questi ...

Core Insights - HumidiFi, the largest decentralized exchange on Solana by one measure, is set to launch its token WET in November through an initial coin offering (ICO) [1] - The exchange has achieved significant growth, processing $33.3 billion in trade volume over the past 30 days, accounting for nearly 25% of all trade volume on Solana [2] - HumidiFi operates as a prop automated market maker (AMM), allowing it to manage liquidity effectively and offer competitive prices compared to traditional decentralized exchanges [3][4] Token Launch Details - WET will be the first token to utilize Jupiter's Decentralized Token Formation (DTF) platform, which will provide tiered access for investors [5] - The ICO will allow for whitelisting of certain recipients, allocation for Jupiter stakers, and public investment on a first-come, first-served basis [5] - The launch date for the ICO has not been finalized, but it is confirmed to occur in November [4] Market Dynamics - Prop AMMs like HumidiFi are seen as a significant evolution in on-chain market microstructure, enabling larger trades at competitive prices compared to centralized exchanges [4] - The current ICO model is criticized for allowing manipulation by wealthy investors, who can exceed investment caps and secure larger token distributions [6][7]

Core Insights - Hyperliquid is pursuing a SPAC merger with Rorschach I LLC to raise $1 billion, aiming to create a Nasdaq-listed entity that connects decentralized finance (DeFi) with traditional finance (TradFi) [2][3][15] - The funds raised will be allocated for HYPE token buybacks, ecosystem expansion, and strengthening infrastructure [3][7][11] Company Overview - Hyperliquid is recognized as one of the fastest-growing decentralized exchanges (DEXes) and has filed with the U.S. SEC for the SPAC merger [2][4] - The merger will result in Hyperliquid being one of the first decentralized exchanges to have a publicly listed U.S. entity [4][6] Financial Structure - The merger plans to issue up to 160 million shares through a committed equity facility with Chardan Capital Markets [4] - The combined entity will hold approximately 12.6 million HYPE tokens valued at around $470 million and $305 million in cash reserves [5] Strategic Goals - The proceeds from the merger will support token buybacks and ecosystem development, reinforcing Hyperliquid's position as a bridge between institutional finance and decentralized trading [3][5][15] - Hyperliquid Strategies will be established as a digital-asset treasury focused on HYPE, aligning with other public firms integrating crypto assets [7][13] Market Positioning - The SPAC merger is viewed as a significant milestone, indicating institutional markets' readiness to engage with DeFi under a regulated structure [6][12] - If approved, Hyperliquid plans to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol PURR, pending regulatory clearance [6] Expansion Plans - Hyperliquid Labs is expanding its team by hiring engineers for its Singapore base, focusing on high-performance trading infrastructure [8] - The platform aims to enhance its offerings by expanding HyperEVM for DeFi dApp deployment and NFT integrations [10] Token Dynamics - Following the funding announcement, HYPE token experienced an over 8% rally, trading near $38.26 [11] - The project has already invested over $644 million in HYPE buybacks, removing 21.36 million tokens from circulation to stabilize price volatility [11] Future Outlook - The merger could provide Hyperliquid with a regulated market presence, attracting institutional investors seeking compliant exposure to DeFi [12][13] - Analysts suggest that the listing may initiate a new wave of integration between DeFi and TradFi, with tokenized treasuries becoming part of corporate financial strategies [13][14]

Core Insights - Hyperliquid is planning to raise $1 billion through a new SEC filing, aiming to enhance its position in the decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape and achieve institutional legitimacy [1][2][5] Fundraising and Financial Strategy - The funds raised will be allocated for general corporate purposes, including HYPE token buybacks and ecosystem expansion [2][7] - Hyperliquid Strategies, formed from a merger with Sonnet BioTherapeutics and Rorschach I LLC, plans to offer up to 160 million shares of common stock [3][4] Merger and Market Position - The merger will position Hyperliquid as one of the few decentralized exchanges with a publicly listed U.S. entity, holding 12.6 million HYPE tokens valued at approximately $470 million and $305 million in cash reserves [4][5] - The merger is projected to close by the end of 2025, with Rorschach and new investors owning 98.8% of post-merger shares [4] Industry Impact - Analysts suggest that Hyperliquid's strategy could create a bridge between Wall Street and DeFi, combining regulated market access with decentralized trading infrastructure [5] Operational Expansion - Hyperliquid Labs is aggressively expanding its team, hiring engineers to support the development of high-performance financial systems [6][7] - The platform has experienced rapid growth, dominating the decentralized perpetuals market and implementing significant technical upgrades [8]

Core Insights - Decentralised exchanges (DEXs) offering perpetual trading are rapidly gaining traction in the crypto industry, with Hyperliquid reporting $2.8 trillion in perpetual trade volume since its launch about a year ago [1] - Aster, a competitor, reportedly surpassed Hyperliquid in daily trading volume in September, but its perpetual volume was delisted by DefiLlama due to concerns over potential wash trading [1][2] Trading Volume and Market Manipulation - Aster claims to have very high perpetual trading volumes, around $100 billion, which raises suspicions about the authenticity of this data [2] - Wash trading, a form of market manipulation where traders trade with themselves to create a false impression of activity, is a concern in decentralised trading venues [3] Data Verification Challenges - DefiLlama highlighted that while some exchanges like GMX and Raydium allow for transaction verification, Aster does not provide the necessary software for running a node, complicating the verification process [4] - The reliance on Aster's API for data is seen as problematic, as it does not meet the verification standards expected in the crypto industry [6] Industry Reactions - The decision by DefiLlama to delist Aster's perpetual volume has received mixed reactions, with some supporters claiming the volume was fake from the start, although proving wash trading requires more data from Aster [7] - Aster's recent rise in the market was aided by a redesigned airdrop campaign and backing from YZi Labs, led by Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance [5]

Core Insights - Perpetual DEXs have achieved a record trading volume of $1.226 trillion over the past 30 days, marking a 48% increase from August's $707.6 billion volume [1] - Aster DEX has emerged as the leader in this sector, accounting for nearly 50% of the market share with a volume of $493.61 billion [2] - Hyperliquid follows closely, generating over $280 billion in trading volume during the same period [2] Trading Volume Performance - Aster DEX leads the market with $493.61 billion in trading volume, representing a significant portion of the perp DEX market [2] - Hyperliquid has also shown strong performance with over $280 billion in trading volume [2] - Other notable platforms include Lighter DEX with over $165 billion and a combination of EdgeX, Pacifica, and Apex Protocol generating $116 billion [3] Market Dynamics - The rapid growth of the perpetual DEX market indicates a shift from centralized exchanges (CEXs) to decentralized alternatives, driven by factors such as transparent settlement and non-custodial trading [4] - Lighter DEX, operating in private beta, has attracted $164.4 billion in September, securing third place in trading volume [4] Fee Generation - Aster DEX has generated over $121 million in fees, surpassing Circle by over $65 million and closely competing with Tether, which generated $155.2 million [6] - Hyperliquid ranks as the 5th highest revenue-generating protocol in the crypto market, with over $23 million in fees generated in the last week [6] Company Background - Aster, formerly known as APX Finance, rebranded in March after merging with Astherus and is backed by YZi Labs [7]

Core Insights - The crypto market is experiencing a record-setting phase with trading volumes reaching new highs, raising questions about the underlying strength versus fragility of the system driven by leverage and speculation [1] Group 1: Market Developments - Perpetual futures trading volume surpassed $100 billion, marking an all-time high (ATH) for decentralized exchanges (DEXs) focused on perpetual contracts [2] - Between 2023 and 2025, perpetual DEX volume increased from $647.6 billion to $1.5 trillion, a 138% year-on-year growth, with market share rising from under 10% to 26% of global perpetual futures trading [4] Group 2: Technological and Structural Changes - Perpetual DEXs operate entirely on-chain, utilizing oracles and automated funding rates to align contract prices with spot markets, a model that has rapidly matured due to regulatory pressures on centralized exchanges (CEXs) and advancements in execution technology [3] - Innovative platforms like Hyperliquid (HYPE) and Aster (ASTER) are driving this boom, with Hyperliquid utilizing a fully on-chain order book and Aster integrating with BNB Chain for advanced trading features [5][6] Group 3: Market Concerns - Critics express concerns that the surge in perpetual volumes is overshadowing spot markets, suggesting that prices may be artificially supported by speculative leverage rather than actual demand [7]

Core Insights - The decentralized exchange (DEX) landscape is experiencing significant competition, with platforms like Aster and Lighter challenging the previous dominance of Hyperliquid [1][2] - Aster recently surpassed Hyperliquid in 24-hour trading volume, prompting a surge in new DEX launches as competitors seek to capture market share [2] - BitMEX CEO Stephan Lutz warns that the incentive-heavy business models of current DEXs may not be sustainable in the long term, likening them to pump-and-dump schemes [3][4] Industry Dynamics - The rapid rise of new DEXs is characterized by a boom-and-bust cycle, making it difficult for these platforms to maintain liquidity and exposing retail traders to high volatility [4] - In contrast, centralized exchanges like Coinbase are expected to remain dominant as they are better positioned to weather these cycles [5] - BitMEX aims to bridge the gap between decentralized and centralized exchanges, recognizing the limitations institutions face in engaging with DeFi [5] Strategic Moves - BitMEX has shifted its data infrastructure to Tokyo, enhancing its liquidity and capitalizing on Japan's growing trading volume [6]