Trump hints at CFTC regulation for Hyperliquid; options volume surges to 8x 30-day average

Published Aug 20, 10:53 PM UTC

On August 20, 2026, President Donald Trump hinted during a press conference that the CFTC is working to bring the decentralized exchange Hyperliquid into the US in a compliant manner. This triggered a surge in Hyperliquid Strategies shares (up 30%) and the HYPE token (up 18%). Options volume in Hyperliquid exploded to nearly eight times the 30-day average, with over 120,000 calls traded. Notably, heavy call-buying occurred hours before the announcement, including a $65,000 trade that gained $111,000 by the close, raising questions about possible advance knowledge. The news also boosted bitcoin and crypto-related stocks like Strategy and Coinbase, while shares of incumbent exchanges like Cboe and CME fell. The article includes analysis from market participants and Hyperliquid's CEO.