Coinbase Global IncRegulatory shift allows Coinbase to list crypto perpetuals, but Hyperliquid's dominance and capital-light model pose competitive threat.

Hyperliquid, a decentralized exchange for perpetual futures, generates annualized revenue near $874 million and routes 99% of trading fees into open-market buybacks of its HYPE token, repurchasing about 7% of its market cap per year. The platform captures around 80% of all decentralized perpetual contract trading volume and operates with just 11 employees after an October 2025 upgrade allowed anyone staking 500,000 HYPE tokens to deploy new perpetual futures markets for nearly any asset. However, competition is intensifying as Coinbase Global, Kalshi, and other regulated exchanges gained a path to list crypto perpetuals in the U.S. following a late-May regulatory shift, while rival Aster temporarily overtook Hyperliquid's market share last year. Despite these threats, the author views Hyperliquid as worth the hype due to its capital-light, revenue-heavy model and successful decentralization.
Coinbase Global IncRegulatory shift allows Coinbase to list crypto perpetuals, but Hyperliquid's dominance and capital-light model pose competitive threat.