June 17, 2025 — Crypto Markets — The decentralized derivatives exchange Hyperliquid (HYPE) has surged to a new all-time high, crossing $44 this week. The rally is being fueled by massive whale accumulation and soaring trading volume, making it one of the hottest tokens in the DeFi space right now. But as excitement builds, some analysts are warning that the current pace may not be sustainable.
Much of Hyperliquid’s recent price explosion can be traced back to large-scale buying by whales—wallets that control significant amounts of HYPE. According to on-chain analytics firm Spot On Chain, one major whale purchased 259,367 HYPE—worth nearly $10 million—at an average price of $38.46 just days before the price spiked past $44.
Other whales followed suit. One acquired over 70,000 tokens at $35, another scooped up nearly 60,000 at under $25. These high-value purchases helped push the price upward and caught the attention of retail traders and institutions alike.
In just a few weeks, Hyperliquid’s market cap jumped to nearly $15 billion, placing it among the top 10 digital assets by market value.
HYPE isn’t just seeing price action—it’s dominating in trading activity as well. In the past 24 hours alone, the token saw nearly $800 million in trading volume. The platform generated over $1.1 million in fees during the same period.
Hyperliquid also led all decentralized perpetuals platforms in volume for May 2025, with $248 billion traded—representing over 60% of the entire market share in this niche.
Open interest in HYPE futures contracts has also surged past $2 billion, indicating that many traders are betting on further price movement. However, such high leverage also increases the risk of large-scale liquidations.
From a technical standpoint, HYPE’s breakout to new highs looks impressive. After clearing resistance at $38–$40, the token entered a fresh price discovery zone. Analysts have pointed to potential upside targets between $50 and $65, or even higher in a continued bull scenario.
But there are also signs of caution. Momentum indicators like the RSI (Relative Strength Index) are nearing overbought levels. Volume appears to be weakening even as price increases—a common warning sign that a pullback may be coming.
Analysts suggest that if the price falls, it may find support again around the $38–$40 range.
Despite Hyperliquid’s decentralized label, the concentration of tokens in whale hands is raising eyebrows. A handful of wallets now control a significant percentage of circulating HYPE, making the market vulnerable to sudden dumps.
Moreover, the platform’s aggressive leverage—up to 50x for Bitcoin and 25x for Ethereum—has sparked comparisons to centralized exchanges like Binance or Bybit. Earlier this year, one large ETH short position at 50x leverage caused a wave of liquidations, forcing Hyperliquid to lower its leverage limits.
This whale visibility has also led to “liquidation hunting,” where traders target over-leveraged positions in order to profit from cascading liquidations. While this is part of the DeFi game, it can destabilize markets and punish smaller investors.
Supporters of Hyperliquid argue that the rally reflects real growth. The protocol is currently managing over $2.2 billion in total value locked (TVL) and continues to see strong developer activity and user adoption.
They also point to Hyperliquid’s fast settlement, innovative trading features, and low fees as reasons for its growing popularity.
However, skeptics warn that too much of the token’s momentum relies on speculative leverage and whale activity. If even one or two large wallets start selling, it could trigger a sharp correction. Retail traders who joined late might get caught in the fallout.
Investors should keep an eye on a few key indicators to understand where HYPE is heading next:
- Whale wallet activity: Continued accumulation may support higher prices, but early exits could signal a top.
- Leverage levels: Rapid increases in open interest or aggressive positioning could lead to forced liquidations.
- TVL and platform usage: Sustained growth in real usage—like new traders, integrations, and product rollouts—will help justify long-term value.
- Regulatory developments: Hyperliquid’s rapid rise may draw attention from regulators concerned about leverage and transparency.
Hyperliquid is on fire. It’s dominating the decentralized derivatives space, attracting whales, and hitting record highs across the board. It represents both the best and riskiest aspects of DeFi: innovation, leverage, and speculation.
Whether HYPE continues to climb or experiences a sharp pullback will depend largely on whale behavior, market sentiment, and how well the platform can maintain user trust and expand its ecosystem.
For now, it’s clear that Hyperliquid has captured the market’s attention. But in crypto—as always—what goes up quickly can come down just as fast.