Elysium vs HyperEVM: What's the Difference?
Elysium is a Layer 2 that settles to HyperEVM; HyperEVM is the EVM inside Hyperliquid's L1. Block times, gas limits, HyperCore access, security and when to build on which — compared side by side.
2 min readUpdated First published By Titan Locker
On this page3 sections
HyperEVM is the EVM built into Hyperliquid's Layer 1, sharing consensus with HyperCore. Elysium is a separate Layer 2 that settles to HyperEVM, built by Kinetiq for high-frequency apps: 100 ms blocks against HyperEVM's 1-second small blocks, and roughly 100× the gas per second as a target. Both use HYPE for gas.
| Elysium | HyperEVM | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Arbitrum Orbit L2 with AnyTrust data availability | The EVM inside Hyperliquid's L1 |
| Settles to | HyperEVM (chain ID 999) | — (it is the L1) |
| Chain ID | 99901 (testnet 99801) | 999 (testnet 998) |
| Gas token | HYPE | HYPE |
| Blocks | 100 ms target (100–200 ms observed on testnet) | 1 s small blocks (3M gas) and 1 min big blocks (30M gas) |
| Throughput target | 300 Mgas/s (to be validated) | Bounded by the block limits above |
| HyperCore access | None at launch; read precompile and ~100 ms order placement about 4 weeks after mainnet | L1Read (best bid/offer, 1 s) and CoreWriter (one-way) |
| Ordering | Single sequencer, priority-fee ordering, no public mempool | Hyperliquid consensus |
| Validation | Permissioned at launch; BoLD fraud proofs planned | Hyperliquid validators |
| Uniswap | Official V2/V3/V4 deployment by Uniswap's deployer | Various DEXes |
Why Elysium exists
HyperEVM's 1-second, 3M-gas blocks leave little room for sustained high-frequency activity, and fees spiked during busy meme runs (Bankless reported HyperEVM gas going from about 0.15 to 60 gwei in two days). Elysium gives apps like professional market-making AMMs, which refresh quotes several times a second, a dedicated fast lane while keeping HYPE and anchoring to HyperEVM.
When to build on which
- Choose Elysium for high-frequency trading, AMMs that re-quote constantly, and token launches that need cheap, fast blocks.
- Choose HyperEVM for direct, synchronous HyperCore integration today, and for the deepest existing HyperEVM liquidity.
- A token can start on Elysium and reach HyperCore spot later: mirror it to HyperEVM, then run HyperCore's spot deployment.
Moving between them
HYPE bridges 1:1 between HyperEVM and Elysium; HyperEVM tokens use the canonical bridge, and Elysium-native tokens use the mirror bridge.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elysium the same as HyperEVM?
No. HyperEVM is the EVM inside Hyperliquid's L1; Elysium is a separate Layer 2 by Kinetiq that settles to HyperEVM.
Is Elysium faster than HyperEVM?
Yes, by design: 100 ms target blocks versus HyperEVM's 1-second small blocks and 1-minute big blocks.
Is Elysium an Ethereum L2?
No. It settles to HyperEVM, not Ethereum; “L2” here is relative to Hyperliquid.
Can Elysium contracts call HyperCore?
Not at launch. A market-data precompile and ElysiumCoreWriter arrive in an upgrade about four weeks after mainnet.
Do Elysium and HyperEVM use the same gas token?
Yes, HYPE on both, bridged 1:1.
Something unclear or out of date? Tell us in Telegram support