Hyperliquid, a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, has introduced native staking on its mainnet, offering users the opportunity to earn rewards by helping to secure the network.
As of December 30, users can stake their tokens with selected validators, choosing based on factors like uptime, reputation, commission, and community involvement. The feature launched with 16 validators available for selection.
The Hyperliquid protocol facilitates decentralized trading of crypto assets and, according to DefiLlama, achieved over $12 billion in trading volume in December, generating more than $8.6 million in revenue. Staking, where users lock up their tokens to validate transactions and maintain network security, rewards participants with additional tokens.
ASXN data shows that $344 million worth of Hyperliquid’s HYPE tokens have been staked to date. The project’s native token, HYPE, saw a significant price surge since its November airdrop, rising from nearly $3.90 to around $26.80 by the end of December.
Hyperliquid has allocated nearly 39% of the remaining token supply for future emissions and community incentives. The distribution also includes 6% for the Hyper Foundation treasury and 0.3% for grants, while 23.8% is earmarked for core contributors with a one-year lockup period. The protocol’s growth comes amidst a record month for decentralized exchanges in December, with a $462 billion monthly trading volume, driven in part by expectations of regulatory shifts in the U.S. in 2025.
