Inside Apollo Crypto: Why Buybacks, Hyperliquid, and On-Chain Risk Management Are Rewriting Crypto

Pratik Kala, Head of Research and Portfolio Manager at Apollo Crypto, joins the pod to break down what's really moving markets. From the Iran-US ceasefire volatility and oil's structural shift, to why Hyperliquid's 99% buyback model is the most credible thing to happen to crypto tokenomics in years. Pratik unpacks Apollo's thesis on HYPE, their battle-tested approach to on-chain market-neutral risk management, and why RWAs need Wall Street pedigree — not just crypto-native optimism. A masterclass in institutional crypto thinking.

Key Takeaways

Hyperliquid's success is trust-driven: The 99% revenue buyback model solved crypto's biggest problem — token holders finally have a transparent, verifiable claim on protocol revenue.
Bitcoin is resilient: Despite relentless geopolitical bad news, BTC has held the $68K level since February, signalling the market wants to go higher once macro clears.
On-chain risk management is a craft: Apollo has run market-neutral on-chain funds since 2021, using oracle verification, max allocation buckets, and stablecoin due diligence to avoid blowups others suffered.
HIP3 has institutional traction: Most HIP3 volume is institutions running arb and delta-neutral strategies — retail is secondary. Transparency on contract pricing and market makers is the next unlock.
RWAs need TradFi experience: Crypto-native teams attempting private credit without Wall Street pedigree are the biggest risk in DeFi's next chapter — institutions may be coming to take, not give.