Trump Says CFTC Chair Selig Is Working to Bring Hyperliquid to the US Legally, Sending HYPE Above $70

President Donald Trump confirmed on August 19 that CFTC Chairman Mike Selig is "working very hard" to create a compliant path for Hyperliquid, the decentralized perpetual futures exchange, to operate in the United States. Trump's comments did not specify what an onshore version of Hyperliquid would look like or what regulatory approvals would be required, and they do not constitute formal CFTC approval of the platform. HYPE, the exchange's native token, surged as much as 17% in the minutes following the announcement, breaking above the psychologically significant $70 level and approaching its all-time high set roughly two months earlier.

The move comes as the CFTC continues efforts to build a crypto-friendly regulatory framework, even as broader legislation such as the CLARITY Act remains stalled in Congress.