Hyperliquid founder Jeff Yan said the crypto industry is facing a clear disconnect between what Web3 could build and the people willing to build it over the long term. In his view, crypto’s negative reputation keeps many talented graduates and skilled professionals away, leaving a larger share of projects shaped by participants chasing fast returns instead of durable product development.
Industry reputation is limiting the builder pipeline
Speaking in an interview on the When Shift Happens channel, Yan said many capable people avoid crypto because of how the sector is perceived. That creates a mismatch between the scale of what can be built in Web3 and the pool of serious contributors entering the space. The core point was simple: the opportunity is large, but the builder base is not keeping pace. In that gap, short-term incentives gain more influence.
Trend-driven projects struggle to attract serious contributors
Yan argued that many Web3 projects fail to inspire committed builders because they are organized around trends or meta-driven gains rather than steady execution. He said this quick-profit culture hides Web3’s actual potential. If a project is centered on market narratives and short cycles, skilled contributors may see little reason to commit years of work to it, especially when the path toward sustainable product development is unclear.
Hyperliquid says it is building from conviction, not trends
Yan said Hyperliquid is taking a different approach by building from belief instead of following trends. He said that strategy helps attract people who want to create sustainable solutions rather than extract short-term upside. By staying focused and showing consistent commitment, Hyperliquid wants to demonstrate the value of deliberate and methodical development across crypto.
He also noted that opportunistic behavior will always exist in permissionless networks, and some participants will try to extract value for personal gain instead of contributing to the ecosystem. Even so, Yan said the broader community remains largely positive and productive. He added that ecosystems are shaped through collective effort, with communities backing meaningful projects instead of chasing the latest market theme.