Kinetiq
AuditedVerifiedTrendingKinetiq is the dominant liquid staking protocol on Hyperliquid: deposit HYPE, mint kHYPE — a non-rebasing reward-bearing token routed across top validators by the autonomous StakeHub system.
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The Problem
Native HYPE staking on Hyperliquid locks capital with multi-day exit queues, blocking holders from earning staking rewards while remaining liquid or productive across HyperEVM DeFi.
The Solution
Kinetiq lets users mint kHYPE against deposited HYPE, earn validator rewards through an exchange rate that ticks upward, and use kHYPE as collateral or liquidity anywhere on HyperEVM — exiting either via the native queue or instantly on DEXes.
Why it Matters
First-mover and category definer for liquid staking on Hyperliquid; autonomous validator selection via StakeHub; deepest integration footprint across HyperEVM DeFi (Pendle, Felix, HyperLend, Veda, Rysk, Project X).
Protocol Metrics
Related Research
View allFrequently asked questions about Kinetiq
What is Kinetiq?+
Kinetiq is a Liquid Staking protocol operating on Hyperliquid. Kinetiq is the dominant liquid staking protocol on Hyperliquid: deposit HYPE, mint kHYPE — a non-rebasing reward-bearing token routed across top validators by the autonomous StakeHub system.
How does Kinetiq work?+
Kinetiq lets users mint kHYPE against deposited HYPE, earn validator rewards through an exchange rate that ticks upward, and use kHYPE as collateral or liquidity anywhere on HyperEVM — exiting either via the native queue or instantly on DEXes.
Is Kinetiq safe?+
DeFi Sentinel rates Kinetiq A with a safety score of 79/100, indicating low-to-moderate risk. The score reflects five risk dimensions: smart contract & technical risk, economic design & market risk, governance & centralization, sustainability & competitive position, and reputation & social trust. Kinetiq has 5 audits on record. DeFi Sentinel's analysis flagged 4 medium, 5 low risk alerts across Smart Contract & Technical Risk, Economic Design & Market Risk, Governance & Centralization and Sustainability & Competitive Position. As with all DeFi protocols, residual risk remains and users should review the full risk breakdown before depositing.
What is the safety score of Kinetiq?+
Kinetiq has a DeFi Sentinel safety score of 79/100 (rating A), last updated September 16, 2026. The score is computed across smart contract & technical risk (30%), economic design & market risk (25%), governance & centralization (20%), sustainability & competitive position (15%), and reputation & social trust (10%).
Which chains does Kinetiq support?+
Kinetiq is deployed on Hyperliquid.
Has Kinetiq been audited?+
Yes. Kinetiq has 5 audit reports on record from firms including Pashov Audit Group, Zenith, Code4rena. Audit reports and dates are linked under the Resources tab on this page.