HYPE Token Price Prediction: An In-Depth Analysis of Hyperliquid's Future Trends and Key Influencing Factors

According to Gate’s latest market data, as of December 30, Hyperliquid’s native token HYPE is priced at $26.28, a slight increase of 1.02% over the past 24 hours. Its circulating market cap is approximately $8.93 billion, ranking 12th in the overall market.

Although recent prices faced resistance around $25.86 and have been consolidating, market participants remain divided and optimistic about its long-term prospects.

01 Current Market Conditions and Performance

Based on the latest market data, the HYPE token is at a critical juncture of bullish and bearish forces. On the Gate exchange, its 24-hour trading volume reached $9.11 million, with market sentiment marked as “Neutral.”

The price has fluctuated narrowly between a low of $25.31 and a high of $26.44. Compared to its all-time high of $59.40 set on September 18, 2025, the retracement is significant.

Short-term momentum contrasts sharply with long-term pressure. The token has gained 8.26% over the past 7 days, indicating some buying support and recovery momentum. However, over a 30-day period, the price has declined by 21.59%, suggesting medium-term selling pressure remains substantial.

This price behavior reflects the market’s complex emotions while digesting recent major events. This week, HYPE experienced a large token unlock, but price volatility was relatively small, possibly indicating the market had already priced in this event.

02 Core Drivers Influencing Price

Token Economics and Supply Shock

The supply and demand dynamics of the token are among the most direct factors affecting HYPE’s price. According to CoinMarketCap AI analysis, HYPE faces a key governance vote at the end of December 2025.

Validators will decide whether to permanently lock approximately 37 million HYPE tokens (worth about $1 billion) from circulating supply. If approved, this would reduce effective supply by about 13% in one go, similar to a large-scale token burn, potentially driving up the price due to scarcity.

Protocol Development and Ecosystem Competition

Hyperliquid, as a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain, primarily focuses on decentralized perpetual contract trading. However, market competition is intensifying.

Its weekly perpetual contract trading volume ($21.5 billion) has been surpassed by competitors like Lighter ($30.9 billion). To stay competitive, Hyperliquid is upgrading support for permissionless creation of perpetual markets through HIP-3 protocol upgrades, aiming to attract more developers and trading volume.

Regulatory Environment and Macro Background

The overall “Fear and Greed Index” for the cryptocurrency market is currently at 24, indicating “Extreme Fear,” which suppresses the performance of most tokens. A potentially positive signal for HYPE is that its team proactively submitted comments to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in May 2025, advocating for clear rules for DeFi derivatives.

A well-defined regulatory framework could provide compliance advantages and attract more institutional capital.

03 Multi-Dimensional Price Forecast Analysis

Market forecasts for HYPE’s future price path vary widely, from short-term technical analysis to long-term fundamentals.

Short-term Forecast (Next 1-3 Months)

Market sentiment in the short term remains cautious. Technical indicators show multiple moving averages (e.g., 50-day SMA at $31.64) above the current price, signaling a “sell” signal and indicating a short-term downtrend.

Some predictive models suggest the price may face downward pressure over the next month, potentially testing around $19.09 by the end of January 2026. Short-term support levels are around $24.09 to $25.19, with resistance near $26.88 to $27.39.

Mid- to Long-term Forecast (2025-2030)

From a medium- to long-term perspective, predictions vary significantly among institutions but generally point toward growth trends. The table below summarizes key forecast data from Gate and other analysis firms:

Gate’s official forecast is relatively conservative, expecting the average price to reach around $39.88 by 2030, representing approximately a 51% potential increase from current levels.

Third-party analysis firms are more optimistic; for example, Cryptopolitan predicts the price could surpass $100 in 2027 and reach as high as $244.28 by 2031.

04 Investor Risk and Opportunity Assessment

Investors considering HYPE face both opportunities and risks. On the opportunity side, continuous technological innovations like HyperEVM and HyperBFT protocols, along with ecosystem expansion, form the foundation for long-term value.

The upcoming supply reduction vote, if successful, could serve as a strong bullish catalyst. Additionally, as a native token, HYPE’s utility in staking, governance, and payments is expected to grow alongside the broader DeFi and derivatives markets.

Risks should not be overlooked. First, ongoing unlocks and inflationary pressures remain concerns. Despite proposals for large lock-ups, there are still token unlock plans, such as approximately $251 million worth of tokens scheduled to unlock on January 6, 2026, which could exert selling pressure.

Second, fierce market competition is evident, with new entrants like Aster and Lighter challenging its market share in perpetual contracts. Lastly, the high volatility of the entire crypto market and the unclear global regulatory landscape pose systemic risks to HYPE’s price.

Future Outlook

As the market watches HYPE’s real-time price of $26.28 on Gate, every fluctuation on its price chart reflects more than just numbers.

Behind it are strategic battles over a $1 billion token lock-up proposal and community governance, adjustments in response to competitors with $30.9 billion in weekly trading volume, and a valuation reset after the $59.40 all-time high.

Hyperliquid’s technical roadmap continues to advance steadily, and its narrative as a high-performance DeFi infrastructure remains ongoing. Ultimately, the long-term ceiling for HYPE’s price will depend on whether it can successfully capture and retain genuine users and assets amid fierce Layer 1 competition.