Changpeng Zhao Defends U.S. Policy Push for Hyperliquid
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has defended the White House's initiative to bring decentralized perpetuals platform Hyperliquid into the United States legally. Writing on X, Zhao argued that regulatory policies apply across an entire sector, meaning that standards established for one company can benefit the broader industry.
Content creator Jake Gagain highlighted Zhao's remarks, noting that the development opens possibilities for numerous decentralized services and perpetual decentralized exchanges (DEXs) to serve U.S. users.
White House Engagement and Regulatory Shifts
The commentary follows statements by President Donald Trump during an August 19 White House gathering with technology and cryptocurrency leaders, including executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, Robinhood, and Nasdaq. Trump credited Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig for spearheading efforts to establish a fully compliant pathway for Hyperliquid in the U.S.
Previously, CFTC Chairman Selig indicated on a podcast appearance that regulators aim to create frameworks that integrate on-chain markets into the United States under regulatory compliance. Hyperliquid currently restricts U.S. residents due to regulatory hurdles, as perpetual contracts remain incompatible with clearing and execution guidelines under the Commodity Exchange Act.
However, U.S. regulators have signaled openness to modifying traditional oversight. In May, the CFTC approved a spot Bitcoin perpetual contract and later sought public feedback regarding continuous 24/7 trading for traditional futures and perpetual contracts for physical energy products.
Implications for Decentralized Finance
Operating Hyperliquid under a compliant U.S. framework would allow regulators to test whether decentralized financial infrastructure can function within established market rules. Analysts note that a successful precedent could enable other decentralized exchanges and on-chain systems to design products meeting U.S. regulatory standards instead of excluding American participants.
During the same White House gathering, President Trump also urged lawmakers to pass the CLARITY Act, describing the stalled legislation as a structured measure to help the United States remain competitive globally.
