Hyperliquid founder and CEO Jeffrey Yan has rejected a $100 million funding offer at a ~$1 billion valuation to keep the project 100% independent and neutral.
Less than a year after launch, Yan chose to continue self-funding Hyperliquid with personal capital rather than accept external investment. His reason: Hyperliquid is not a traditional company but a permissionless on-chain protocol that must remain neutral to protect its core values and long-term vision.
The decision highlights Hyperliquid’s extreme efficiency: with only 11 employees, the project generated over $900 million in profit last year and captured a massive share of the decentralized perpetuals market — making it one of the most profitable startups per employee on Earth. No VC funding, no dilution, just pure execution.
After the news, the $HYPE token jumped sharply, showing strong community belief in Yan’s “zero external investment” philosophy.
