Hyperliquid has officially linked HyperCore and HyperEVM on its mainnet, enabling asset transfers and smart contract development while bridging centralized exchange performance with decentralized functionality.
Background
- Hyperliquid, a high-performance Layer 1 protocol known for its decentralized perpetual futures exchange, announced the mainnet launch of HyperCore–HyperEVM linking on March 25.
- HyperCore acts as the protocol’s trading and consensus backbone, while HyperEVM—introduced in February—brings Ethereum-compatible programmability to the ecosystem.
- Previously operating independently, the two modules are now interconnected, allowing developers to transfer tokens between systems and build applications that leverage both Hyperliquid’s trading performance and the flexibility of EVM-based development.
- This integration marks a significant milestone for the protocol, which surged to popularity in 2023 and drew attention with a $1.2 billion HYPE token airdrop in November.
- Hyperliquid aims to position itself as the infrastructure layer that combines centralized exchange (CEX)-level speed and liquidity with the composability of decentralized finance (DeFi).
Why Should You Pay Attention?
- The integration of HyperCore and HyperEVM opens the door to building more dynamic, high-performance DeFi applications on a single network.
- Developers can now deploy EVM-compatible smart contracts while utilizing HyperCore’s spot trading infrastructure—bringing together previously siloed elements of trading and dApp development.
- The move also lowers friction for onchain builders, allowing cross-layer transfers and interaction, a potential leap forward for application design and DeFi UX.
Who Said What?
- The Hyperliquid team emphasized caution in a public message, stating:
“It is strongly recommended to test everything on testnet before linking on mainnet, as linking is immutable.”
- On GitHub, the team also flagged key limitations, such as the absence of a recipient contract verification tool and potential low balances in the system address (0x20…0x00):
“It’s prudent to verify that [linked contracts’] implementation is correct,” they added.
Zooming Out
- Hyperliquid's latest launch reinforces its broader mission of blurring the lines between DeFi and CEXs.
- As Layer 1 ecosystems compete for developer mindshare, offering unified infrastructure for asset movement and smart contract deployment could give Hyperliquid an edge.
- The rollout follows a series of innovations aimed at boosting liquidity and usability onchain—most notably, its large-scale HYPE token airdrop and increasing user engagement.
- By connecting its high-speed trading core with an EVM-compatible environment, Hyperliquid positions itself as a notable platform for traders and for developers building the major DeFi protocols.
- With testnet warnings and no automatic ERC-20 contract checks yet, the system still requires careful implementation. However, if adopted successfully, this integration could reshape how builders view Layer 1 design, merging execution efficiency with programmable flexibility.
