Part 9/14:
Hyperlquid’s HYPE token was launched with a highly equitable distribution—over 310 million tokens distributed directly to users via a massive airdrop, bypassing traditional VC allocations. This “airdrop boom,” combined with a buyback-and-burn mechanism fueled by 93-97% of protocol fees, propelled HYPE’s price from $3.90 to over $59.
It promotes ecosystem growth through staking rewards, liquidity mining, and partnerships—like integrating USDC with Circle. Recent proposals hint at reducing token supply by up to 45%, aiming to bolster value, but sparking market debate about inflation control vs. community rewards.