Hyperliquid Policy Center launches in Washington, D.C., names Jake Chervinsky CEO, backed by 1M HYPE tokens funding operations and advocacy.
The Hyperliquid Policy Center officially launched in Washington, D.C., on February 18, 2026. The non-profit organization seeks to promote the adoption of decentralized finance throughout the USA.
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The center identifies itself as an independent research and advocacy nonprofit organization. Furthermore, it envisages backing legal clarity for decentralized finance technologies and platforms. Therefore, leadership focused on cooperation with lawmakers, regulators, and the rest of the digital asset industry.
We are Hyperliquid Policy Center.
HPC is a research and advocacy nonprofit focused on advancing a clear path for decentralized finance to thrive in the USA.
We will introduce policymakers to @HyperliquidX and bridge the gap between law and next-generation market infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/9bbQZboJWs
— Hyperliquid Policy Center (@HyperliquidPC) February 18, 2026
According to official announcements, Jake Chervinsky became the first chief executive officer of the organization. Previously, he was the CEO of the Blockchain Association and venture firm Variant. Consequently, the appointment helped to add legal expertise and policy experience to the center’s leadership structure.
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Meanwhile, the initiative was financially supported by the Hyper Foundation. The foundation donated 1M HYPE tokens to finance the research, outreach and policy engagement activities. At recent valuations, those tokens have an estimated value of almost $28M.
Additionally, the organization stated that donated tokens would be unstaked at a later date the same day. Therefore, operational funding would end up gradually turning into usable resources that support advocacy and education programs. In addition, discussions about token usage were a prominent theme in communities.
The focus of the center reflects the gap between DeFi innovation and evolving U.S. regulations. Furthermore, leadership emphasized the need for structured dialogue and not confrontational policy approaches. As a result, the launch was noticed by developers, institutions and regulatory stakeholders.
Hyperliquid Policy Focus Turns to Perpetual Derivatives Framework
A key area of focus is regulatory clarity for perpetual derivatives, also often known as perps. These contracts enable continuous leveraged trading without having fixed expiration dates as in the case of Futures. Supporters say perps are simpler than options but provide digital asset exposure.
However, most perpetual derivatives trading is currently taking place on offshore cryptocurrency exchanges. Therefore, US-based platforms are facing uncertainty due to incomplete domestic regulatory frameworks. Moreover, officials in charge of making such laws are still trying to evaluate how such products are to fit existing financial laws.
According to public statements, the center plans to conduct research papers and educative briefing. Furthermore, it will seek to help Congress and agencies understand the decentralized protocol mechanics.
Jake Chervinsky stressed that predictable rules might provide incentive for responsible innovation and compliance. Moreover, he said, regulatory clarity often helps to lower barriers to institutional involvement. Therefore, signals in favor of collaboration and better legislation pathways were welcomed by industry participants.
Furthermore, the benefits of direct representation in proximity to federal decision-making institutions were emphasized by developers. As a result, the discussion centered around the potential impacts of decentralized finance adoption over the long term.
Meanwhile, there was also an influx of attention caused by HYPE token activity following the funding disclosure announcement. Market participants tracked changes in staking, as well as liquidity flows, and short-term patterns of volatility closely.
The launch can be attributed to an increasing interest in policy engagement from institutions in the blockchain industry. Furthermore, advocacy organizations are increasingly interested in cooperation for the purposes of affecting balanced regulation of digital assets. Consequently, the debut of the Hyperliquid Policy Center is another step toward structured dialogue.
