Hyperliquid Policy Center and Douro Labs urge SEC to repeal trade-through rule for onchain markets

Two organizations deeply embedded in the Hyperliquid ecosystem have told the SEC to ditch a 20-year-old equity trading rule and start thinking about what “best execution” actually means when trades settle on a blockchain instead of the NYSE. The Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC) and Douro Labs submitted a joint comment letter on August 17 backing the SEC’s June 11 proposal to rescind Rule 611 of Regulation NMS. The rule, originally adopted in 2005, requires trading venues to route orders to whichever exchange displays the best price, a concept known as the “trade-through” rule. Both organizations argue the rule is a relic of an era when stock exchanges were the only game in town. What Rule 611 does and why crypto wants it gone Rule 611 was designed to protect investors by ensuring their orders got the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) price across all registered exchanges. In practice, it means a broker can’t execute your trade at a worse price if a better one exists somewhere else in the system. Onchain markets don’t operate like centralized exchanges. There’s no consolidated quote system, no closing bell, and no neat hierarchy of registered venues. Trading happens 24/7 across perm...