HyperEVM or Hyperliquid Blockchain: Which Name Is Correct?
Hyperliquid and HyperEVM are not two different blockchains. Using the official docs, we explain what HyperCore and HyperEVM are, how they share one state, why wallets and aggregators label the network differently, and which name fits each context.
Antonio Vaganovs·Published ·11 min read
Add the chain with ID 999 to your wallet following the official guide, and it is called "Hyperliquid". Open Chainlist, DexScreener or a block explorer, and it is "HyperEVM". CoinGecko and GeckoTerminal even list two separate networks: HyperEVM and Hyperliquid. No wonder many people think these are two different blockchains, or call HyperEVM a "layer 2" of Hyperliquid.
The reality is simpler. Below we use the official Hyperliquid documentation to explain what each name refers to and which one fits which context: your wallet, an exchange withdrawal, a smart contract, or a conversation about the HYPE token.
The short answer
Both names are correct, but they mean different things: Hyperliquid is the whole blockchain, and HyperEVM is its EVM part.
| Name | What it is | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Hyperliquid | A layer 1 (L1) blockchain with HyperBFT consensus and the native HYPE token | For the network as a whole, the HYPE token, validators, staking and the Hyperliquid exchange |
| HyperCore | The native part of Hyperliquid: on-chain order books for perps and spot, margin, staking | For order-book trading and spot balances |
| HyperEVM | The EVM part of the same blockchain: smart contracts, ERC-20, chain ID 999, gas in HYPE | For wallets, RPCs, DEX pools, contracts and ERC-20 tokens |
The docs state plainly that HyperEVM is not a separate chain: it is secured by the same HyperBFT consensus as HyperCore. So "the HyperEVM blockchain" is a simplification, and "HyperEVM is a Hyperliquid L2" is simply wrong.
Say "Hyperliquid" when you mean the blockchain as a whole, and "HyperEVM" when you mean smart contracts, ERC-20 tokens and the chain ID 999 network in your wallet.
What is Hyperliquid
Hyperliquid is a layer 1 blockchain built from first principles for on-chain finance. Its consensus is HyperBFT, a custom algorithm inspired by HotStuff and its successors. According to the docs, Hyperliquid's state execution is split into two broad components: HyperCore and HyperEVM.
The network's native token is HYPE. It is staked to validators (Hyperliquid uses delegated proof-of-stake) and it pays for gas on HyperEVM. Many people know "Hyperliquid" mainly as a perpetual futures exchange, but the exchange is an application running in HyperCore on that same blockchain.
HyperCore and HyperEVM: two parts of one blockchain
HyperCore runs fully on-chain order books for perpetual futures and spot. Every order, cancel, trade and liquidation happens on-chain with the one-block finality HyperBFT provides. Per the docs, mainnet currently handles about 200,000 orders per second. Spot balances, HYPE staking and vaults live here too.
HyperEVM is the familiar Ethereum-style smart contract platform built into the same blockchain. Its blocks are produced as part of Hyperliquid's execution and inherit all of HyperBFT's security. Technical details from the docs:
- the EVM version is Cancun without blobs, with EIP-1559 enabled;
- gas is paid in HYPE (18 decimals); the base fee is burned and, unlike on most EVM chains, the priority fee is burned too;
- a dual-block architecture: small blocks every second with a 3M gas limit and big blocks every minute with a 30M gas limit, for heavy transactions such as large contract deployments;
- chain ID 999 on mainnet and 998 on testnet.
| HyperCore | HyperEVM | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hyperliquid's native trading engine | An EVM smart contract platform |
| Consensus | HyperBFT | The same HyperBFT — no separate chain |
| What lives there | Perp and spot order books, margin, staking, vaults | Solidity contracts, ERC-20 tokens, DEX pools, lending |
| How you use it | The Hyperliquid app and API (signed actions) | JSON-RPC, chain ID 999, any EVM wallet |
| Tokens | Spot assets under the HIP-1 standard | ERC-20 contracts; HYPE is the native coin, WHYPE is 0x5555…5555 |
| Fees | Exchange trading fees | EIP-1559 gas in HYPE |
| Blocks | One-block finality, about 200k orders/s | Small blocks every 1 s, big blocks every 1 min |
| Explorer | L1 explorer in the Hyperliquid app | HyperEVMScan, Blockscout |
How HyperCore and HyperEVM share one state
The docs describe Hyperliquid as one state with a HyperCore part and a HyperEVM part. In practice that means a few things.
One address, two balances. You use the same 0x address in HyperCore and in HyperEVM, but the two parts keep separate balances. If funds "disappeared" from your spot balance after a transfer, they most likely just moved to HyperEVM — Hyperliquid support says exactly that: the funds are not lost.
Transfers between the parts need no bridge. Assets move with the "Transfer to/from EVM" button in the Hyperliquid app or directly via system addresses. For HYPE that address is 0x2222222222222222222222222222222222222222; every other token has its own system address. A HyperCore → HyperEVM transfer costs 200k gas at the base gas price of the next block, while the reverse costs about the same as a regular token transfer (details). The docs stress there is no bridging risk between HyperCore and HyperEVM, because it is one unified state.
Contracts can see HyperCore. HyperEVM smart contracts can read HyperCore data through read precompiles (positions, spot balances, oracle prices) and send actions to HyperCore — orders, for example — through the CoreWriter system contract at 0x3333…3333 (docs).
According to the docs, sending any other asset to 0x2222…2222 will lose it: each spot token has its own system address. Move funds between the parts through the Hyperliquid app, and start with a small test amount the first time.
Where the confusion comes from: a little history
Hyperliquid first became known as a perpetuals exchange on its own L1, and the EVM part arrived later. That is why many people still treat HyperEVM as a "new network" next to Hyperliquid. Key dates:
- November 29, 2024 — the HYPE token genesis and airdrop to points holders (Cointelegraph);
- February 18, 2025 — HyperEVM launches on mainnet (The Block);
- March 25, 2025 — HyperCore and HyperEVM tokens are linked, April 30 — read precompiles, July 5 — the CoreWriter contract for writing to HyperCore (Galaxy Research).
The docs still call HyperEVM an alpha: the EVM part's throughput and features are being scaled up gradually so it does not overload the state it shares with HyperCore.
How wallets, explorers and aggregators label the network
We checked how popular services label the same network:
| Service | Label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Official "add to wallet" guide | Network Name: Hyperliquid, chain ID 999 | HyperEVM |
| Chainlist | HyperEVM | HyperEVM |
| The viem library (behind wagmi and many dApps) | hyperEvm, name HyperEVM, explorer HyperEVMScan | HyperEVM |
| CoinGecko and GeckoTerminal | Two networks: HyperEVM (chain ID 999) and Hyperliquid | HyperEVM and HyperCore separately |
| DexScreener | hyperevm | HyperEVM DEX pools |
| DefiLlama | Hyperliquid L1 | The whole blockchain |
| Explorers | HyperEVMScan, HyperEVM Explorer (Blockscout) | HyperEVM |
| Official RPC | rpc.hyperliquid.xyz/evm | The EVM endpoint of the Hyperliquid network |
The pattern is clear: where "network" means the EVM (chain ID, ERC-20, DEX pools), services say HyperEVM; where they mean the whole blockchain or HyperCore, they say Hyperliquid. In a wallet, both labels with chain ID 999 point to the same EVM network, so go by the chain ID and RPC URL, not the name.
In the open ethereum-lists/chains registry, ID 999 has historically belonged to Wanchain Testnet, even though Chainlist shows HyperEVM for it. A wallet that checks against that registry may warn you about a mismatched name or currency symbol. That is not a problem with the network: just verify the RPC URL and chain ID against the official docs.
Which name to use in each situation
| Situation | Correct name | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Talking about the blockchain, validators, consensus | Hyperliquid, Hyperliquid L1 | It is the name of the network itself |
| Trading perps or spot on the order books | Hyperliquid (technically HyperCore) | Trading happens in HyperCore |
| Adding the network to a wallet, looking for an RPC | HyperEVM, chain ID 999 | A wallet adds the EVM part |
| Deploying a contract, creating an ERC-20, trading on a DEX | HyperEVM | All of this exists only in the EVM part |
| Withdrawing HYPE from an exchange | Check what it says: HyperEVM or Hyperliquid/HyperCore | These are different balances of one address |
| Looking up a transaction | HyperEVMScan for the EVM, the L1 explorer for HyperCore | Each part has its own transactions |
Common mistakes:
- "HyperEVM is a separate blockchain", "an L2" or "a sidechain". No: HyperEVM has no consensus of its own; its blocks are part of Hyperliquid's execution.
- "Hyperliquid is just an exchange". The exchange is an application in HyperCore, while Hyperliquid is an L1 with two parts.
- "HyperLiquid", "HyperEvm", "Hyper EVM". The official docs write Hyperliquid, HyperEVM, HyperCore, HyperBFT and HYPE.
How to add HyperEVM to your wallet
The easiest way is Chainlist: connect your wallet and click "Add to wallet". To add the network manually (official guide):
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Network name | Hyperliquid (as in the docs) or HyperEVM — it is just a label |
| RPC URL | https://rpc.hyperliquid.xyz/evm |
| Chain ID | 999 |
| Currency symbol | HYPE |
| Block explorer | https://hyperevmscan.io or https://www.hyperscan.com |
For testnet: chain ID 998, RPC https://rpc.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz/evm.
Also worth knowing:
- Gas is HYPE only. If your wallet complains about insufficient ETH, the network was added incorrectly (Hyperliquid support).
- Where to get HYPE for gas. Buy HYPE with USDC on Hyperliquid spot and move it to HyperEVM with the "Transfer to/from EVM" button, or use one of the bridges and services from the list in the docs.
- MetaMask and the "Invalid transaction envelope type" error. The docs call it a known MetaMask issue and suggest Rabby, which supports HyperEVM as an integrated network.
- The official RPC has no archive or websocket support. State queries such as
eth_callandeth_getBalancework for the latest block only, andeth_getLogsis limited to 50 blocks per request (JSON-RPC). For historical data, use one of the archive RPC providers.
Before withdrawing HYPE or other tokens from a centralized exchange, check where exactly it sends them. The docs warn that some exchanges support withdrawals only to the HyperCore spot balance, not to HyperEVM.
HyperEVM on ChainTx.Tools
In the ChainTx.Tools interface the network is called HyperEVM (hyperevm in page URLs): gas is HYPE, the chain ID is 999, and transaction links open HyperEVMScan. All our tools work with the EVM part of Hyperliquid — wallets, ERC-20 tokens and HyperEVM DEX pools. Trading on the HyperCore order books is not part of them.
Wallets and balances
- Bulk EVM wallet creator and vanity addresses: a regular 0x address works for both HyperEVM and HyperCore.
- HyperEVM bulk balance checker: HYPE balances for a list of addresses in one pass.
Tokens
- HyperEVM Token Creator: an ERC-20 token without code — name, symbol, supply, decimals and options such as mint, burn and pause.
An ERC-20 created on HyperEVM does not appear on Hyperliquid's spot order book by itself; it trades in HyperEVM DEX pools. To trade it on HyperCore as well, you need to deploy a HyperCore spot asset (the HIP-1 standard) and link it to the contract following the procedure in the docs.
Trading through HyperEVM DEXes (Project X, HyperSwap, Nest, Ramses and KittenSwap)
- Bulk buy and bulk sell one token from many wallets.
- Multi-token buy and multi-token sell in a single run.
- Market maker for EVM chains: pick HyperEVM in the network list.
Transfers
- One-to-many, many-to-one and many-to-many: bulk sending of HYPE and ERC-20 tokens.
- Transfer all: sweep HYPE and every token from many wallets to one address.
Utilities
- HyperEVM RPC node checker: status, ping and latest block of each node; you can add your own RPC.
- HyperEVM unit converter: HYPE ↔ wei (HYPE has 18 decimals on HyperEVM).
Summary
Hyperliquid is a layer 1 blockchain with HyperBFT consensus and the HYPE token. HyperCore and HyperEVM are two parts of that one blockchain: the first runs the on-chain order books and staking, the second runs smart contracts and ERC-20 tokens. So "the Hyperliquid blockchain" and "the HyperEVM network" are not competing names but names at different levels. When you talk about the network as a whole, write Hyperliquid; when you add chain ID 999 to a wallet, deploy a contract or trade on a DEX, write HyperEVM. And for transfers and exchange withdrawals, always check which part is meant: the address is the same, but the balances are not.
FAQ
+Is HyperEVM a separate blockchain or an L2?
No. HyperEVM is the EVM part of the Hyperliquid blockchain. Its blocks are built as part of Hyperliquid's execution and secured by the same HyperBFT consensus as HyperCore, so calling HyperEVM a separate chain, an L2 or a sidechain is wrong.
+What is the HyperEVM chain ID?
999 on mainnet and 998 on testnet. The official RPC is https://rpc.hyperliquid.xyz/evm (testnet: https://rpc.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz/evm), and gas is paid in HYPE.
+Why does my wallet call the network "Hyperliquid" while websites say "HyperEVM"?
The network name in a wallet is just a label chosen by whoever adds the network. The official Hyperliquid guide suggests "Hyperliquid", while Chainlist, the viem library and ChainTx.Tools use "HyperEVM". If the chain ID is 999 and the RPC matches, it is the same network.
+What do I pay gas with on HyperEVM?
HYPE only. If your wallet says you lack ETH, the network was added incorrectly. You can buy HYPE with USDC on Hyperliquid spot and move it to HyperEVM with the "Transfer to/from EVM" button, or get it through a bridge.
+Can I withdraw HYPE from an exchange straight to HyperEVM?
Only if the exchange explicitly supports HyperEVM withdrawals. Some exchanges send HYPE to the HyperCore spot balance — the same address, but a different part of the blockchain. The Hyperliquid docs recommend confirming this with the exchange and starting with a test transfer.
+Is my address the same on HyperCore and HyperEVM?
Yes, you use the same 0x address, but the balances are separate: the HyperCore spot balance and the HyperEVM balance. If funds seem to vanish after a transfer, they are most likely on the other side and can be moved back with the same HyperCore ↔ HyperEVM transfer.
+Will a token created on HyperEVM appear on the Hyperliquid order book?
Not automatically. An ERC-20 on HyperEVM trades in HyperEVM DEX pools. To trade it on the HyperCore spot order book, you need to deploy a HyperCore spot asset (the HIP-1 standard) and link it to the ERC-20 contract following the procedure in the Hyperliquid docs.
+How do you spell it: Hyperliquid or HyperLiquid?
The official docs write Hyperliquid, with a lowercase l. The other official spellings are HyperEVM, HyperCore and HyperBFT, and the token ticker is HYPE.
