Elysium vs HyperEVM: what's the difference?
6 min read · Updated October 27, 2026
If you trade on Hyperliquid, you have probably used HyperEVM, the EVM side of the Hyperliquid chain. Elysium is something different: a Layer 2 by Kinetiq that runs on top of HyperEVM, with mainnet scheduled for November 9, 2026. Here is how they compare.
| HyperEVM | Elysium | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Part of the Hyperliquid L1 | L2 (Arbitrum Orbit) settling to HyperEVM |
| Built by | Hyperliquid | Kinetiq |
| Gas token | HYPE | HYPE (bridged 1:1) |
| Speed | Small fast blocks plus larger slow blocks | Target 100-200 ms blocks, ~100x HyperEVM gas throughput |
| Security at launch | Hyperliquid validators | Single sequencer, whitelisted validators, data committee |
| HyperCore access | Yes (precompiles, CoreWriter) | Planned about 4 weeks after mainnet, with deeper order-book data |
| Leaving | Native | Optimistic withdrawal to HyperEVM after a challenge period |
Why build an L2 on HyperEVM at all?
Hyperliquid keeps HyperEVM blocks deliberately small, which protects the core exchange but makes busy moments expensive: Kinetiq has cited simple swaps reaching about $20 at peak. Elysium moves the busy, high-frequency activity (market-maker AMMs, launchpads, meme coins) to a separate chain with much bigger capacity, then connects back to Hyperliquid's order books.
Which should you use?
- Trading established HyperEVM DeFi or using HyperCore today: HyperEVM.
- Launching or trading new meme coins after November 9: Elysium is designed for it, with cheaper and faster swaps. See how to launch a meme coin on Elysium.
- Holding large amounts for a long time: weigh Elysium's early centralisation and the withdrawal wait.
Developers can deploy the same contracts on both, since both are EVM chains. For a full overview, see what is Elysium.
Questions
Is Elysium the same as HyperEVM?
No. HyperEVM is Hyperliquid's own EVM chain. Elysium is a separate Layer 2 built by Kinetiq that settles to HyperEVM.
Is Elysium faster than HyperEVM?
It is designed to be: Kinetiq targets 100 to 200 millisecond blocks and around 100 times HyperEVM's gas throughput. Testnet blocks were 0.13 to 0.32 seconds under light load.
Does Elysium use HYPE?
Yes. HYPE is Elysium's only gas token, bridged 1:1 from HyperEVM.
Is Elysium as secure as HyperEVM?
Not at launch. Elysium starts with one sequencer and whitelisted validators, with permissionless fraud proofs planned later. HyperEVM is secured by Hyperliquid's validators.