Hyperion DeFi, Inc. (NASDAQ: HYPD) has appointed former PayPal executive David Knox as its new Chief Financial Officer.
The publicly traded company, based in Laguna Hills, California, announced the move on September 29 as part of a strategy to merge traditional financial products with the world of decentralized finance (DeFi). The news was also shared through the company’s official social media channels
Hyperion DeFi welcomes Paypal’s former Head of Capital Markets and Head of Finance for Global Credit & Financial Services as its Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. $HYPD. More than just $HYPE.
Hyperliquid. https://t.co/0iY2BfJfjJ
— Hyperion (@HyperionDeFi) September 29, 2025
According to the announcement, the hire is a part of Hyperion’s plan to strengthen governance and position itself as a “bridge between Wall Street and the decentralized future.”
A traditional finance professional enters DeFi
David Knox joins Hyperion DeFi from PayPal, where he was the Head of Capital Markets and Head of Finance for Global Credit and Financial Services. His career also includes roles at such as Cantor Fitzgerald, SoFi, and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
In a statement, Knox said he plans to use his “extensive industry connections across institutional finance,” particularly in structured products like asset-backed securities (ABS) and collateralized loan obligations (CLO), in order to bring these solutions on-chain.
Hyperion’s strategic push for on-chain institutional finance
Hyperion DeFi is the first U.S. publicly listed company focused on building a strategic treasury of HYPE, the native token of the Hyperliquid blockchain. According to the press release, CEO Hyunsu Jung, Knox can help “accelerate our mission of moving institutional finance to Hyperliquid.”
As part of the hiring agreement, Hyperion DeFi granted Knox a restricted stock unit award of 100,000 shares. The company noted that the grant, which vests over one year, was an inducement material to his employment under Nasdaq Listing Rules.
Following the announcement, HYPD stock surged 11.6% to $10.68 in early trading on September 29, reflecting positive investor sentiment.
Broader implications for the DeFi industry
The traditional way of working could bring Wall Street experience basis to introduce ‘new’ sources of liquidity and transparency to the market. This can reflect a growing trend of DeFi companies recruiting executives from traditional finance to enhance credibility and attract institutional capital.
Also read: Bitwise Files to Launch Hyperliquid ETF with HYPE Token