Hyperliquid Burns $1.27B HYPE as AQAv2 Expands Buyback Engine

A fresh supply has entered the Hyperliquid [HYPE] market and challenges the protocol’s ability to absorb additional liquidity.

Recently, Hyperion unstaked a total of 519,480 HYPE worth about $28.56 million and increased the float of the token while trading at about 28% below peak levels.

Despite this, newly liquid tokens have not attracted significant inflows to exchanges. This suggests distribution has not yet materialized. That distinction matters because the Assistance Fund continues generating structural demand.

Since November 2024, 99% of fees have funded buybacks, retiring 462 million HYPE worth $1.27 billion. Monthly purchases have eased from $111 million to $37.1 million recently, but they still offset part of the growing supply.

The market now hinges on whether those unstaked tokens remain in self-custody or begin feeding exchange liquidity.

The market now faces a broader question than whether unstaked HYPE reaches exchanges. It is whether Hyperliquid can generate enough new demand to absorb any additional liquid supply.

That becomes more pressing as AQAv2 is gearing up to direct roughly 90% of reserve yield from USD Coin [USDC] balances into the Assistance Fund.

Unlike the current buyback model, which relies mainly on trading fees, upgrades introduce another recurring revenue stream.

Meanwhile, permissionless prediction markets require participants to stake HYPE before launching markets and add another source of locked supply and fees as well. Together, these upgrades broaden demand beyond trading activity and strengthen utility economically for HYPE.

Ultimately whether Hyperliquid upgrades going forward can offset the recent increase in supply will depend on the protocol’s ability to generate value consistently. That process is already evident through its token economics.

Fees continue mostly flowing into buybacks of HYPE tokens, and cumulative burns are roughly 46 million tokens, or about 4.6% of the maximum supply.

Daily repurchases recently range from $1.1 million to $1.7 million. Furthermore, annualized protocol revenue is roughly between $600 million and $950 million, according to DeFiLlama data.

Rather than relying on isolated events, demand grows alongside trading activity. That becomes more important after unstaking from Hyperion because stronger revenue from the protocol can absorb part of extra float that comes in.

All this together, the balance now depends less on temporary supply changes and more on whether ecosystem activity continues expanding.

• Hyperliquid faces fresh supply pressure, but buybacks and token burns continue supporting long-term demand.
• HYPE expands its demand base through AQAv2 and new utility, reinforcing its long-term value proposition.