# Is Hyperliquid Available in the US? What the Restriction Actually Covers (2026) > Hyperliquid's frontend geo-blocks US IP addresses; the L1 protocol itself is permissionless. What the restriction covers, what it doesn't, and where to go for anything legal or tax-related. *Source: https://hyperliquidguide.com/privacy/hyperliquid-us-availability* > **Note:** **Last verified: August 19, 2026.** Hyperliquid's frontend continues to restrict US IP addresses. This page describes what the restriction covers at a technical level and deliberately avoids drawing legal conclusions — see the [disclaimer](/disclaimer) for why, and consult a qualified attorney or tax professional for anything that depends on your specific situation. > **Tip:** **August 19, 2026 update.** Speaking at a White House meeting with crypto and prediction-market executives, President Trump said CFTC Chair Mike Selig was working to bring Hyperliquid into the United States "in a fully compliant and legal fashion." No filing, registration, approval or date has been announced, and the frontend restriction described on this page was still in place that day. For the full quote, the CFTC process people are referring to, and what would actually have to happen, see [Is Hyperliquid coming to the US?](/privacy/is-hyperliquid-coming-to-the-us) Hyperliquid's frontend at [app.hyperliquid.xyz](https://app.hyperliquid.xyz/join/Concept211) geo-blocks connections from US IP addresses, and its Terms of Service separately restrict use by US persons. The L1 protocol itself — the blockchain, the smart contracts, the on-chain order book — does not perform IP-based geo-blocking; the restriction is enforced at the frontend, not at the protocol level. That distinction is purely technical and does not amount to a statement about what is or is not permitted: Hyperliquid's own Terms of Service are the actual restriction, and the frontend IP check is one mechanism for enforcing them. This page describes what the restriction covers. It does not evaluate whether trading is lawful for any particular reader, does not speculate about why the restriction exists, and does not walk through how to route around it. For anything legal, regulatory, or tax-related, talk to a professional — see the [disclaimer](/disclaimer) for the full scope of what this site does and does not claim to know. ## Which Countries Does the Frontend Restrict? Per Hyperliquid's published Terms of Service and the frontend's own geo-check, the following are restricted: - **United States** — blocked at app.hyperliquid.xyz via IP-based geofencing - **OFAC-sanctioned countries** — Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea/Donetsk/Luhansk regions of Ukraine - **Other jurisdictions** the Terms of Service name or may name as conditions change — check the current Terms directly rather than relying on any secondary summary, including this one Outside those, the frontend does not apply an IP restriction. This is a description of the frontend's current behavior, not a representation that trading is permitted or advisable in any given jurisdiction — check the [Terms of Service](https://app.hyperliquid.xyz/join/Concept211) directly, since they are the authoritative source and this page is not. > **Key takeaway:** The frontend restriction and the L1 protocol are two different things. The protocol does not perform IP-based geo-blocking; the frontend does, and Hyperliquid's Terms of Service are what actually govern who may use the platform. ## Frontend vs. Protocol The frontend — the website at app.hyperliquid.xyz — checks IP address and blocks connections it identifies as US-based. The L1 protocol underneath it does not perform this check; it processes signed transactions from any wallet. That is a fact about how the system is built, not a statement about what is permitted: the Terms of Service that govern use of Hyperliquid apply regardless of which layer enforces them technically, and this site is not positioned to interpret how that applies to any individual's situation. Other DeFi derivatives platforms use comparable frontend-level restrictions; [dYdX](/compare/hyperliquid-vs-dydx) and GMX are two examples. This page does not draw conclusions from that pattern about why any of these platforms, including Hyperliquid, made this choice — that would be speculation about a private company's internal reasoning, which this site has no visibility into. --- ## VPNs, Privacy, and Crypto Trading VPN use is common among crypto traders for reasons that have nothing to do with reaching any one specific platform: **ISP visibility.** An ISP can see every site a connection touches. A VPN encrypts that traffic so the ISP sees only an encrypted tunnel, not the destinations. **Public network security.** Coffee shop, airport, and hotel Wi-Fi carry real risk of interception. A VPN's encrypted tunnel protects traffic on networks a trader doesn't control. **Reducing IP exposure.** An IP address can approximate physical location. Traders holding meaningful balances often treat minimizing that exposure as standard operational security. VPNs are legal in the US and most countries, and are used by journalists, corporations, and ordinary users for reasons unconnected to crypto. For a comparison of specific VPN services on privacy features, speed, and price, see the [VPN review guide](/privacy/best-vpn-crypto-trading). None of the above is guidance on using a VPN to reach a specific geo-restricted service, and this page does not provide that. Whether doing so is consistent with a platform's own terms is a question for that platform's terms and for a lawyer — not for this page. > **Warning:** This section describes VPNs as a general privacy tool. It is not instructions for accessing any geo-restricted service, and it is not legal advice. If a service restricts access from your location, that restriction reflects a decision made by that service; whether and how to act on it is a legal question specific to your situation. Consult a qualified attorney. **Set Up on Hyperliquid** — Where you're eligible to use it, Hyperliquid offers self-custody trading with no identity verification. Use our referral code for a 4% lifetime fee discount. [Start Trading on Hyperliquid](https://app.hyperliquid.xyz/join/Concept211) ## Custody Model Hyperliquid is described by its documentation as non-custodial: when funds move onto Hyperliquid's L1, they sit under smart-contract control tied to the depositing wallet rather than in a company-held account. That is a description of the architecture, not a warranty against loss — smart contract risk, bridge risk, and key-management risk are separate topics covered in the [security guide](/guides/getting-started/is-hyperliquid-safe). The practical implication commonly drawn from a non-custodial design is that there is no company account to freeze in the way a centralized exchange account can be frozen or, as happened with FTX, misappropriated. That follows from the architecture as described; it is not a guarantee about outcomes in every circumstance, and readers should treat it as a description rather than a promise. ## Tax and Reporting Crypto trading profits are generally subject to tax reporting obligations regardless of which platform or protocol was used, in the US and in most jurisdictions. This is general information, not tax advice, and it does not cover FBAR, FATCA, or any jurisdiction-specific reporting question — those require a qualified tax professional who knows your full situation. The [tax reporting guide](/guides/trading/hyperliquid-tax-reporting-guide) covers exporting trade history from Hyperliquid, which is a separate, purely mechanical topic from what you owe or how to report it. ## On-Chain Activity Is Not Private Using a VPN changes what an ISP or network observer can see; it does not change what is visible on-chain. Wallet addresses and transaction history on Hyperliquid's L1 are public, and on-chain analysis can link addresses to identities through exchange deposits, address reuse, and other correlation techniques. Treat blockchain activity as public and permanent, and keep records — see the [tax reporting guide](/guides/trading/hyperliquid-tax-reporting-guide) for what Hyperliquid's own trade history export provides. ## If You Want a Different Trade-off Regulated derivatives venues exist with different features and different constraints — CME Group's crypto futures and Coinbase's regulated futures products among them, generally with narrower product selection, lower leverage, and standard KYC. The [Hyperliquid vs. Binance](/compare/hyperliquid-vs-binance) and other [comparison articles](/compare) lay out feature differences without making a claim about which is right for any given reader — that depends on your own risk tolerance, jurisdiction, and legal situation, which is exactly the kind of judgment this site does not make for you. **Self-Custody Trading** — Hyperliquid gives you control of your own funds with no identity verification, where you're eligible to use it. Use our referral link for 4% off all fees. [Try Hyperliquid - Save 4%](https://app.hyperliquid.xyz/join/Concept211) ## Summary Hyperliquid's frontend restricts US IP addresses, and its Terms of Service separately restrict use by US persons; the L1 protocol itself does not perform IP-based geo-blocking. This page describes that distinction without drawing legal conclusions from it. VPNs are legal, general-purpose privacy tools used widely in crypto trading for reasons unrelated to any one platform, and nothing here should be read as instructions for circumventing a specific restriction. Tax obligations apply to crypto trading generally, and on-chain activity is public regardless of network-level privacy tools. For anything that depends on your specific facts — legality, tax treatment, or otherwise — talk to a qualified professional. See the [disclaimer](/disclaimer) for the full scope of what this site does and does not represent.