Hyperliquid Won Perpetuals. After $536 Million of Options Traded in September, Can It Win Options Too?

Hypercall, an options trading platform built on Hyperliquid (CRYPTO:HYPE), reported trading $536 million in options in September 2026, according to founder Jake Sylvestre. This figure reflects the total value of the contracts, which typically exceeds the cash collateral that traders put down. September alone accounted for nearly all of the $592 million in options that Hypercall has traded since its launch on June 1. This volume has put Hyperliquid options at the forefront for traders already using the platform.

Hyperliquid operates the largest decentralized market for perpetual futures—contracts that follow the price of a cryptocurrency without an expiration date. The parent company of Kraken plans to offer these contracts to U.S. traders. However, despite Hypercall’s growth, the HYPE token has experienced a downturn. As of October 7, HYPE trades at $88, down 2.4% for the week and about 10% from its September 23 peak of $98.

So, can Hyperliquid also succeed in options trading, and will HYPE holders benefit if it does?

Hyperliquid’s Perpetual Futures Give Options Traders a Ready Hedge

An option grants its buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price by a specified date. An option’s value depends on several factors, including the asset’s current price, the time remaining until expiry, and market expectations for price movements. Thus, effective options markets require market makers—firms that provide buy and sell prices across multiple strike prices and expiry dates.

Every trade leaves a market maker exposed to price risk. Hypercall’s market makers mitigate this risk by participating in Hyperliquid’s perpetual futures, which are traded continuously. This relationship illustrates how Hyperliquid’s leadership in perpetual futures could bolster its options market, as every hedge made contributes to increased trading volume on Hyperliquid.

Hyperliquid’s founder, Jeff Yan, has echoed this sentiment, suggesting that options market makers could effectively utilize Hyperliquid’s perpetual futures for hedging. However, since Hyperliquid collects the fees from this hedging activity, Yan has a vested interest in ensuring this concept proves successful.

Hypercall’s Volume Is Growing Fast but Still Small Next to Stock Options Exchanges

Hypercall offers options on well-known stocks, including Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), in addition to SpaceX and the S&P 500. It also features options on Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) and Ether (CRYPTO:ETH). Hypercall’s trading volume surged quickly, averaging around $60 million a day in the week leading up to Sylvestre’s October 7 essay.

In that essay, titled “Crypto Gave Markets the Perp. Options Are Next,” Sylvestre posited that options could emerge on cryptocurrency platforms much like perpetual futures have. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to note that Sylvestre is leading the platform that would benefit if his thesis is correct. Hypercall is currently labeled as an alpha release, and it has yet to prove it can draw business away from the established stock options exchanges.

Hypercall Settles Its Options in USDC, Not HYPE

For HYPE holders, an important detail to consider is the currency Hypercall uses for transactions. According to its documentation, options settle in cash, specifically USDC, a dollar-pegged stablecoin. Traders must also post USDC as collateral. Therefore, a record trading month at Hypercall does not create direct demand for HYPE. Additionally, Hypercall keeps its own fees, and the team behind Synapse, a separate crypto project, develops it.

Instead, HYPE could benefit in an indirect manner. Hyperliquid directs most of its trading fees toward buying HYPE through its Assistance Fund, meaning each hedge placed by Hypercall’s market makers on Hyperliquid’s perpetual futures contributes to these buybacks. Hypercall has also mentioned a HYPE rewards pilot in its documentation, though it has not yet disclosed details.

Supply dynamics may pose challenges for HYPE. Approximately 222 million HYPE tokens are currently in circulation out of a total maximum supply of 1 billion. This gives HYPE a market value of roughly $19.5 billion, while the remaining 778 million tokens could be worth about $68 billion at the current price of $88. There have also been instances where large holders sold off $22 million in HYPE in late September.

Can Hyperliquid Succeed in Options Trading?

Absolutely, the Hyperliquid ecosystem has the potential to excel in decentralized options trading. Hypercall’s market makers are already hedging their positions through perpetual markets that Hyperliquid dominates. Hyperliquid options trading volume jumped from about $56 million in Hypercall’s first three months to a remarkable $536 million in September alone. However, HYPE holders stand to gain primarily through buybacks funded by trading fees, since Hypercall operates in USDC and keeps its own fees.

This means HYPE holders don’t have a direct claim to this growth. Although HYPE has risen about 95% over the past year, it has dipped approximately 10% from its peak during Hypercall’s strongest month. If October trading volume surpasses $536 million and HYPE rewards pilot offers, HYPE could play a more concrete role, giving holders a more direct benefit and strengthening its long-term prospects. Conversely, if October falls short, it may weaken the narrative that options trading is shifting to Hyperliquid.

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