The sheer audacity of it! A $12 billion valuation. And without VCs. Hyperliquid didn’t merely step into the DeFi square – it installed an uppercut to the current order. This is not yet another crypto admirable tale, it’s actual news of independence for decentralized finance.

VCs: A Necessary Evil or Just Evil?

Let's be brutally honest. Receiving venture capital in DeFi is frequently a Faustian bargain. You receive the first capital infusion, the tireless marketing efforts, the perception of legitimacy. But what's the price? They’re designed to crush retail investors, plain and simple. In many cases, insiders have orchestrated rug pulls, cashing out on short-term profits without regard for the long-term value of the community. We already witnessed this more than once with VC-backed DEXs such as dYdX, Aevo and GMX. Yet, their fee structures are deeply misaligned with the interest of investors and foundations. At the same time, they fail to consider the needs of real users and liquidity providers.

This isn't a hypothetical. These are actual projects heavily influenced by VC that threaten the sustainability and equity of the platform. Think about it: who benefits when a VC-backed project pumps and dumps? Certainly not the average user.

Hyperliquid flips the script entirely. They bootstrapped. They built. They airdropped fairly. No private token sales. No VC allocations. No investor unlock schedules hanging over their heads like a Sword of Damocles. This is not just a better approach, it’s the morally right approach.

Hyperliquid's Secret: Community-Centric Economics

Hyperliquid's success isn't some fluke. That’s a direct result of its savvy economic structure which puts user value ahead of VC profiteering.

This is not a shifty, fly-by-night, no-utility, governance token collecting dust in your wallet. But it’s baked deep into the platform’s DNA. Validator staking, delegation for staking rewards, trading fee discounts, gas on HyperEVM, and even trading it with leverage – HYPE is actually useful.

Then there's the HLP Vault. Forget traditional AMMs. As an active market maker, Hyperliquid fills unmatched orders and participates in liquidations. And the best part? All trading-related fees are funneled back into the vault and automatically redistributed to liquidity providers. A 17% APY in Q2 2025? That’s not only appealing — it’s a remarkable example of the power of aligning incentives.

  • No VC Overhang: No fear of token dumps.
  • Equitable Airdrop: Rewarding early adopters, not just insiders.
  • HLP Vault: Real yield for liquidity providers.
  • HYPE Utility: Actual use cases beyond governance.

Hyperliquid isn’t planning to be receiving a cut of that revenue. This isn’t community rent extraction; it’s deep community ownership and value creation.

Vote With Your Wallet; Build New Paradigm

There’s a lot more to Hyperliquid than being a hit DEX. It’s evidence that a better model exists. A model that puts users first, not VCs. A new paradigm in which lasting environmental and social stewardship prevails over short term monetary gain. A model where decentralization actually means something.

Here's the thing. This isn't just about Hyperliquid. It's about the future of DeFi. Or are we going to choose to not repeat this history, to not blindly follow the path of VC-dominated platforms who profit by harming people. Or are we really going to put dollars behind decentralized, community-centered projects? Let’s support projects like Hyperliquid that help forge a more fair and greener crypto environment.

The choice is yours. Vote with your wallet. Support projects that align with your values. Demand transparency and fairness. Together, we can create a DeFi future that is really decentralized and really inclusive.

This is not investment advice. Conduct your own due diligence and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. The author participates in affiliate marketing.