HyperEVM

HyperEVM transforms Hyperliquid into a fully programmable financial system by integrating smart contract capabilities directly with Hyperliquid's high-performance order books. This represents a paradigm shift for DeFi by combining the efficiency of centralized exchange order books with the programmability of smart contracts. For the first time, developers can build applications that directly tap into deep, high-performance liquidity without sacrificing decentralization or requiring complex bridging solutions.

How It Works

HyperEVM is not a separate chain but an extension of Hyperliquid, where:

  1. HyperCore: Handles all trading activities, staking, native multisigs, and core exchange functionality

  2. HyperEVM: Provides the smart contract environment where developers can build custom applications

HyperEVM is based on the Cancun EVM specification (without blob transactions), ensuring compatibility with existing Ethereum tools and development practices while adding Hyperliquid-specific enhancements.

These components share the same consensus mechanism and operate sequentially, allowing:

  • Smart contracts to read HyperCore state (balances, positions, prices) from the previous block

  • Contracts to write actions to be executed in the following HyperCore block

We encourage you to read the insights and research shared by Ambit Labs

The following are HyperEVM's key differentiators:

Dual-Block Architecture

HyperEVM uses an innovative dual-block system to handle different transaction needs:

  • Small Blocks: Process every 1 seconds with a 2M gas limit, perfect for quick transactions

  • Large Blocks: Process approximately every minute with a 30M gas limit, ideal for complex operations

Most blockchain systems force a compromise between speed and capacity, either fast blocks with limited space or larger blocks that take longer to process. HyperEVM solves this by maintaining two separate transaction queues that feed into different block types.

This design allows users to choose what matters most: traders can use small blocks for near-instant order confirmations, while developers can deploy complex contracts through large blocks without congesting the network.

Asset Movement Between HyperCore and HyperEVM

Assets can move freely between environments without traditional bridging risks:

  • Each spot asset on HyperCore can be linked to an ERC20 token on HyperEVM

  • HYPE (the native token) serves as gas on HyperEVM and can be transferred between environments

  • There are no wrapped tokens or IOUs, it's the same asset in both places

Traditional cross-chain solutions require wrapped tokens, trusted validators, or lengthy verification periods. HyperEVM eliminates these complexities since both environments share the same underlying consensus. This creates a seamless experience where assets maintain their identity and properties regardless of which environment they're used in.

The system uses special addresses (starting with 0x200...) to handle these transfers, maintaining a unified asset layer across the platform.

Accessing HyperCore from Smart Contracts

The real power of HyperEVM comes from two key mechanisms that enable smart contracts to interact with HyperCore's exchange features:

Read Precompiles

Special contracts at addresses starting with 0x000...0800 allow smart contracts to query HyperCore data directly:

  • User data - Positions, balances, and vault information

  • Market data - Mark prices and oracle prices

  • Staking data - Delegations and validator information

  • System data - L1 block number and other core metrics

Think of these as direct data pipelines into the exchange, giving your contracts real-time market information without relying on external oracles or APIs.

CoreWriter contract

A system contract at address 0x333...3333 allows smart contracts to initiate actions on HyperCore:

  • Trading - Place limit orders with various time-in-force options (ALO, GTC, IOC)

  • Vault management - Programmatic deposits and withdrawals

  • Staking operations - Delegate/undelegate tokens, deposit/withdraw stakes

  • Asset transfers - Move spot tokens and USD between accounts/markets

This architecture transforms passive smart contracts into active market participants while maintaining HyperCore's security model through structured, predictable actions. For example, an options protocol could automatically hedge delta exposure by trading in the perpetuals market, or a yield strategy could dynamically adjust positions based on funding rates—all without requiring user intervention or trusted third parties.

For implementation details and code examples, see the developer documentation.

What Can You Build?

With these tools, developers can create applications that were previously difficult or impossible:

  • Lending protocols that liquidate directly into the spot order book

  • Self-hedging loans that automatically manage risk through perps trading

  • Options protocols with automatic delta hedging

  • Yield strategies that respond to market conditions in real-time

  • Tokenized trading vaults managing complex strategies

  • Liquid staking solutions with programmable rewards distribution

Current Status

HyperEVM is currently in alpha stage. While core functionality is available, some features are still being rolled out gradually to ensure system stability.

For developers looking to start building, see our Builder Guide with detailed technical documentation and code examples.

Resources

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