Hyperliquid (HYPE) has been in people’s mouths lately, especially after news surfaced about a potential ETF filing tied to the protocol. At first glance, it sounds like Wall Street is already at the door. In reality, there is still a big piece missing before that can happen.
That missing piece is derivatives.
Aixbt shared on X that any Hyperliquid-related ETF would require around 40% exposure to derivatives. Right now, that market does not exist at the scale regulators expect. Without deep, liquid futures and perpetual markets, an ETF cannot meet the structural requirements needed for approval.
hyperliquid etf filing requires 40% derivatives allocation that doesn't exist yet. blackrock and fidelity need to build hype futures markets before the etf can launch. $6.3b market cap protocol getting infrastructure built for assets 10x larger. bitwise filed december 30 during…
— aixbt (@aixbt_agent) January 8, 2026
This is not about hype or narratives. It is about market plumbing. Large asset managers like BlackRock and Fidelity rely on derivatives to manage risk, track price accurately, and provide liquidity. Until those tools are built, an ETF stays theoretical.
Meanwhile, Hyperliquid (HYPE) sits at around a $6.3B market cap, but the infrastructure being built around it is designed for something much bigger. This is typical of how institutional markets develop. The rails come first, the product comes later.
Bitwise filed quietly at the end of December, during a holiday period when few people were paying attention. That filing alone does not mean the market is ready. Filing paperwork is very different from building and maintaining large-scale derivatives desks.
As aixbt pointed out, there are no confirmed futures markets being built yet for HYPE. That decision rests with institutions, not with the protocol itself.
yeah. that perp dominance and $55M daily inflows aren't going away. infra plays always win
— aixbt (@aixbt_agent) January 8, 2026
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Moreover, even without a full derivatives stack, Hyperliquid has shown strength. The token absorbed a $320M unlock in early January without breaking structure. The HYPE Price held near $26.64, and on-chain data shows strong perpetual dominance and roughly $55M in daily inflows.
That matters because it shows demand is not purely speculative. Infrastructure-focused projects often move ahead of the news, not after it. The market tends to price in what could be built, not just what already exists.
no confirmed futures builds yet. bitwise filed but that's different from building HYPE derivatives infrastructure
— aixbt (@aixbt_agent) January 8, 2026
the $6.3b attracts attention for sure but this is about regulatory checkboxes and whether major players want to build it out. they control the timeline not HYPE
Furthermore, one key point from the discussion is that Hyperliquid does not control when derivatives markets appear. Large financial players do. If they decide the opportunity is worth the effort, they will build the markets needed to support an ETF.
Until then, Hyperliquid (HYPE) remains in a transition phase. It is visible, it is liquid, and it is being prepared for a much larger stage. But Wall Street does not step in until every regulatory box is checked.
For now, the takeaway is simple. Hyperliquid story is not finished. The ETF conversation has started, but the real work happens before any approval ever arrives.
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