Elysium vs HyperEVM: What's the Difference?
HyperEVM is Hyperliquid's own smart contract chain (chain ID 999), and it keeps its blocks small on purpose. Elysium (chain ID 99901) is a Layer 2 built by Kinetiq that settles to HyperEVM and offers much more block space and very fast blocks for trading apps. Both are EVM chains and both use HYPE for gas.
What is HyperEVM?
HyperEVM is the EVM smart contract layer of Hyperliquid. It is part of Hyperliquid's base network, alongside HyperCore, the trading engine behind Hyperliquid's markets. HYPE is its native token and its chain ID is 999.
Hyperliquid keeps HyperEVM blocks small on purpose. That protects the base layer, but it caps how much activity apps can fit into each block. For most transfers and everyday contract calls this is fine. For apps that generate a constant stream of trades, it becomes a limit.
What is Elysium, and how does it relate to HyperEVM?
Elysium is a Layer 2 built by Kinetiq. It runs its own blocks and settles to HyperEVM, the way many Ethereum Layer 2s settle to Ethereum. It is an Arbitrum Orbit chain, so it uses the standard Arbitrum Nitro stack and ArbOS. The full background is in what is Elysium.
The relationship is simple. HyperEVM is the base. Elysium is an extra lane built on top of it for busy trading apps, launchpads and AMMs.
Elysium vs HyperEVM: the key differences
- Layer. HyperEVM is part of Hyperliquid's base network. Elysium is a Layer 2 that settles to HyperEVM.
- Block space. HyperEVM blocks are small by design. Elysium is built for much more block space and high throughput.
- Block speed. Elysium targets very fast blocks, in the range of 100 to 200 milliseconds.
- Gas token. Both use HYPE. On Elysium it is HYPE bridged 1:1 from HyperEVM.
- Chain ID. HyperEVM is 999. Elysium mainnet is 99901.
- Compatibility. Both are EVM chains. Solidity contracts and common wallets work on both.
- Transaction ordering. On Elysium at launch, a single sequencer orders transactions by priority fee, with no public mempool.
- Exits. Leaving Elysium through the official bridge takes about 5.5 days. Moving into Elysium takes seconds to a few minutes.
Is Elysium as secure as HyperEVM?
They use different trust models, and it helps to know where the trust sits.
On Elysium, one sequencer orders transactions at launch. Validators are permissioned, which means only approved parties can post and check results for now. Permissionless fraud proofs, through Arbitrum's BoLD system, are planned for later, which would let anyone challenge an invalid result.
Two protections exist from day one. First, if the sequencer refuses your transaction, you can force-include it through the delayed inbox on HyperEVM. Second, the data needed to rebuild the chain is stored by an AnyTrust-style committee that posts compact certificates to HyperEVM, with a fallback to posting full data on HyperEVM.
The optimistic design also explains the exit delay. Withdrawals wait for a challenge period so any invalid result can be disputed first. The details are in Elysium withdrawal time.
How do you move funds between HyperEVM and Elysium?
Deposits go from HyperEVM to Elysium through the official Elysium bridge and arrive within seconds to a few minutes. Your HYPE arrives 1:1. You can start from the Bridge page, and the full walkthrough is in bridge HYPE to Elysium.
If your funds are on Base instead, ArkhamPad also accepts USDC from Base and converts it to HYPE on the way in, so you land on Elysium ready to trade. See buy Elysium tokens with USDC.
Withdrawals back to HyperEVM through the official bridge take about 5.5 days (around 132 hours) on mainnet. ArkhamPad is working on a faster exit route, but there is no date yet.
Which chain should you use?
It depends on what you want to do.
- Trading new Elysium tokens or launching a coin: Elysium. That is where those tokens and pools live, and the extra block space is built for frequent trading.
- Using apps that only exist on HyperEVM: HyperEVM. Contracts and balances are separate per chain.
- Funds you may need quickly: think before bridging. Getting in is fast. Getting out through the official bridge takes about 5.5 days.
Fees are another factor. Gas on Elysium is very low, but trading costs include more than gas. Elysium gas fees breaks down what a trade really costs.
What changes after the planned HyperCore upgrade?
Kinetiq plans an ArbOS upgrade about a month after Elysium mainnet. It would let smart contracts on Elysium read live HyperCore market data and route orders to HyperCore.
That would connect Elysium more closely to the rest of Hyperliquid. Apps on Elysium could use live market data from HyperCore inside their contracts. This upgrade is not live at launch, so treat it as planned until it ships.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elysium faster than HyperEVM?
Elysium is designed for very fast blocks, with a target of 100 to 200 milliseconds, and for much higher throughput. HyperEVM keeps its blocks small on purpose. For apps that send many transactions, such as launchpads and trading sites, Elysium offers far more room. Keep in mind that the block time is a design target, and real conditions can vary.
Do I need a different token for gas on Elysium?
No. Both Elysium and HyperEVM use HYPE for gas. On Elysium, HYPE is bridged 1:1 from HyperEVM through the official bridge, so there is no separate gas token to buy. Keep a small amount of HYPE on Elysium at all times, because every transaction, including selling a token, needs some gas.
Can I use the same wallet address on Elysium and HyperEVM?
Yes. Both are EVM chains, so a normal EVM wallet address works on both. Balances are separate, though. HYPE on HyperEVM does not show up on Elysium until you bridge it, and tokens bought on Elysium stay on Elysium. Always check which network your wallet is connected to before you send funds.
Why does leaving Elysium take longer than entering it?
Elysium is an optimistic Layer 2. Deposits from HyperEVM arrive within seconds to a few minutes. Withdrawals through the official bridge must wait for a challenge period, currently about 5.5 days on mainnet, so that any invalid result can be disputed before funds are released on HyperEVM.
Are tokens on HyperEVM automatically available on Elysium?
No. Each chain has its own contracts and balances. A token deployed on HyperEVM does not appear on Elysium by itself, and a token launched on Elysium lives only on Elysium. To use HYPE on Elysium, you bridge it through the official Elysium bridge, where it arrives 1:1.