https://t.co/34GTz1COJV
Kinetiq
Liquid staking protocol on Hyperliquid issuing kHYPE with over $860M in TVL
4.1/ 5
Our score
Very good
Type
Liquid staking
Protocol fee
10%
Withdrawal time
8-9 days
Receipt token
kHYPE
Audited
Yes
What is Kinetiq?
Kinetiq is a non-custodial liquid staking protocol deployed on the Hyperliquid blockchain. It allows users to stake native HYPE tokens to receive kHYPE, an interest-bearing receipt token that can be deployed across decentralized finance applications or used as collateral on venues like Markets.xyz. As of October 2026, the protocol holds more than $860 million in total value locked.
Company background and funding
Kinetiq is operated by Kinetiq Research. In October 2025, the team raised $1.75 million in a seed funding round. Investors participating in the round included Maven 11, Pier Two, Chorus One Ventures, IMC Crypto, Infinite Field, Flowdesk, and Susquehanna. Governance and utility center on the native KNTQ token.
Liquid staking mechanics and products
Users deposit native HYPE through non-custodial smart contracts on Hyperliquid Layer 1 and HyperEVM to mint kHYPE. The protocol automatically delegates underlying assets to high-performing network validators using an autonomous validator scoring algorithm to optimize rewards. Beyond core staking, products include Markets.xyz for perpetual trading on traditional finance pairs, Kinetiq Earn yield vaults, Kinetiq Launch for third-party liquid staking token deployment, and iHYPE for institutional staking compliance and custody integration.
Protocol fees and unbonding
Before April 9, 2026, Kinetiq applied a 0.10% unstaking fee. Starting April 9, 2026, the protocol charges a 10% performance fee on staking rewards, with 70% of those proceeds routed toward KNTQ token buybacks. Kinetiq Earn charges a 20% performance fee on vault profits, without deposit, withdrawal, or management fees. Unstaking kHYPE back to native HYPE takes an eight to nine day unbonding delay in addition to the exit fee.
Audits, security, and protocol risks
Kinetiq code has been audited by four independent security firms: Spearbit, Pashov Audit Group, Zenith, and Code4rena. The protocol belongs to the Secure Staking Alliance and hosts a public bug bounty program on Cantina offering payouts up to $1 million. Smart contract vulnerabilities on Hyperliquid, validator slashing, unbonding delays, and the possibility of kHYPE trading at a discount to HYPE in liquidity pools remain risks for participants.
Best for:HYPE holders seeking liquid staking yieldHyperliquid DeFi liquidity providersPerpetual traders using kHYPE collateralInstitutions requiring compliant staking rails
Pros and cons
Pros
- Over $860M in TVL on Hyperliquid
- Codebase audited by Spearbit, Pashov Audit Group, Zenith, and Code4rena
- Bug bounty program offering up to $1M in payouts
- No deposit, withdrawal, or management fees on Kinetiq Earn vaults
- Wide integration with Hyperliquid DeFi and collateral platforms
Cons
- Unstaking delay of eight to nine days to redeem HYPE
- Takes a 10% performance fee on staking rewards
- Confined primarily to the Hyperliquid blockchain ecosystem
- Exposes capital to potential validator slashing and kHYPE depeg risks
Our review
4.1/5
Very good
Kinetiq anchors Hyperliquid liquid staking with deep liquidity and audited smart contracts, but users face an eight to nine day unstaking queue and a 10% fee on staking rewards.
Kinetiq operates as the primary liquid staking protocol on Hyperliquid Layer 1, where users deposit native HYPE tokens to mint yield-bearing kHYPE. The protocol held over $860M in total value locked in October 2026. Staked assets are distributed across Hyperliquid validators using an automated scoring model that delegates to the top-performing operators to capture baseline network yield.
Its main operational advantage is ecosystem liquidity. Holding kHYPE lets users retain underlying network rewards while deploying the liquid receipt token across Hyperliquid DeFi protocols and integrated venues such as Derive. Beyond standard liquid staking, the team runs institutional rails through iHYPE and hosts synthetic perpetual markets via Markets.xyz. Audits from Spearbit, Pashov Audit Group, Zenith, and Code4rena back the codebase, complemented by a $1M bug bounty hosted on Cantina.
Trade-offs center on protocol extraction, withdrawal delays, and network concentration. Kinetiq charges a 10% performance fee on staking rewards, using 70% of those fees to buy back its governance token, KNTQ. Users wishing to unstake natively back to HYPE must wait through an eight to nine day unbonding delay, exposing them to liquidity constraints if market conditions shift rapidly. In addition, the protocol is bound to Hyperliquid L1, concentrating operational and execution risk within a single ecosystem.
Kinetiq suits HYPE holders who want to keep their capital productive across Hyperliquid DeFi without giving up staking yield. Passive investors who prefer immediate exits without secondary-market slippage or who want multi-chain exposure outside Hyperliquid should look elsewhere.
Sources (2)
Specs
| KYC required ⓘ | No · unverified |
|---|---|
| Type | Liquid staking |
| Stakeable assets | HYPE |
| Receipt token | kHYPE |
| Protocol fee | 10% · unverified |
| Withdrawal time | 8-9 days · unverified |
| Chains | Hyperliquid |
| Node operators | Autonomous scoring and stake distribution system · unverified |
| Audited | Yes |
| Restaking | No · unverified |
Not disclosed by the provider: Minimum stake, Slashing cover, Typical reward rate.
Data from the provider's website and public sources. Fees and availability change; confirm on the official site before you sign up.
Key features
Liquid kHYPE minting
Stakes native HYPE tokens non-custodially on Hyperliquid to receive yield-bearing kHYPE.
Autonomous stake distribution
Delegates staked HYPE across network validators based on real-time performance scoring.
Kinetiq Earn vaults
Automates yield generation across HyperEVM protocols with a 20% performance fee on vault profits.
Institutional iHYPE rails
Provides custody-integrated staking infrastructure designed for regulated enterprises.
Markets.xyz perpetual venue
Enables 24/7 perpetual futures trading on equities, indices, and commodities on Hyperliquid.
Bug bounty protection
Maintains an active Cantina bug bounty program with rewards up to $1 million.
Inside Kinetiq
kHYPE Liquid Staking
Deposit native HYPE tokens to receive kHYPE, earning staking rewards while keeping assets liquid for use across Hyperliquid DeFi.
Markets.xyz by Kinetiq
Trade perpetual futures contracts on equities, currency pairs, indices, and commodities 24/7 on Hyperliquid.
iHYPE Institutional Staking
Access custody-integrated, compliant liquid staking rails designed specifically for regulated institutions and enterprises.
Kinetiq Earn
Deploy automated yield vault strategies across HyperEVM protocols with zero deposit or withdrawal fees and a 20% performance fee on vault profits.
Kinetiq Launch
Launch liquid staking tokens and infrastructure on Hyperliquid with a 10% performance fee model on staking rewards.
Kinetiq screenshots
User reviews
No user reviews yet. Have you used Kinetiq? Share your experience below.
Funding and investors
$1.8MTotal raised
1Round
7Investors
-
Seed Oct 2025 $1.8M
FAQ
Who operates Kinetiq?
Kinetiq is developed and operated by Kinetiq Research. The project raised $1.75 million in seed funding from investors including Maven 11, Pier Two, and Chorus One Ventures.
What fees does Kinetiq charge for staking?
Kinetiq takes a 10% performance fee on staking rewards. Seventy percent of those protocol performance fees are directed toward KNTQ token buybacks.
How long does it take to unstake HYPE from Kinetiq?
Unstaking kHYPE natively back to HYPE requires an unbonding delay of approximately eight to nine days. Users who need immediate exits must trade kHYPE on secondary markets.
Has Kinetiq been audited?
Yes, Kinetiq has been audited by four independent security firms: Spearbit, Pashov Audit Group, Zenith, and Code4rena. The project also maintains an active bug bounty program on Cantina with rewards up to $1M.
Does Kinetiq require identity verification (KYC)?
No identity verification is required to use the non-custodial kHYPE staking protocol on Hyperliquid. Regulated institutions accessing the iHYPE institutional product use separate compliance and custody rails.
Does Kinetiq have a native token?
Yes, Kinetiq has a native token under the ticker KNTQ. The token is supported by protocol fee buybacks funded by liquid staking performance fees.
Latest from Kinetiq on X
A wild @Pumpfun has entered Elysium.
The Pump is going interplanetary.
e/acc https://t.co/lGbZK734u4
The Pump is going interplanetary.
e/acc https://t.co/lGbZK734u4
Win in options, keep earning in kHYPE.
The $40K Road to Expiry pool is paid entirely in kHYPE, so prizes keep accruing staking rewards long after 13 Nov.
Trade $HYPE options on @DeriveXYZ from 26 Oct. https://t.co/RDcYmiUMWB
The $40K Road to Expiry pool is paid entirely in kHYPE, so prizes keep accruing staking rewards long after 13 Nov.
Trade $HYPE options on @DeriveXYZ from 26 Oct. https://t.co/RDcYmiUMWB
You're getting Elysium before GTA 6.
e/acc
e/acc
Running Elysium
Recent public posts from @kinetiq_xyz, shown as published. Not reviewed or endorsed by CryptoReview.
Latest from Kinetiq on Telegram
Kinetiq Announcements
Join
@kinetiq_announcements · 1.4K subscribers
Tokenized equities enter Elysium.
Welcome, xStocks.
https://x.com/Enter_Elysium/status/2115806617522618758
Welcome, xStocks.
https://x.com/Enter_Elysium/status/2115806617522618758
674 View on Telegram
On Elysium, you have options.
Enter Derive V3.
https://x.com/Enter_Elysium/status/2115790998702076173
Enter Derive V3.
https://x.com/Enter_Elysium/status/2115790998702076173
666 View on Telegram
Pump is going interplanetary.
Welcome to Elysium.
https://x.com/Kinetiq_xyz/status/2115473712019644878?a=zxNJx1zTl93bT2vPXZI&s=20
Welcome to Elysium.
https://x.com/Kinetiq_xyz/status/2115473712019644878?a=zxNJx1zTl93bT2vPXZI&s=20
852 View on Telegram
Elysium has fomo.
The exclusive trading partner for Elysium.
e/acc
https://x.com/Enter_Elysium/status/2115428582944296991?a=0dHM969OViS3nFljgIQ&s=20
The exclusive trading partner for Elysium.
e/acc
https://x.com/Enter_Elysium/status/2115428582944296991?a=0dHM969OViS3nFljgIQ&s=20
1.3K View on Telegram
Recent posts from the official Telegram channel @kinetiq_announcements, shown as published. Not reviewed or endorsed by CryptoReview.
Alternatives to Kinetiq
Solana liquid staking infrastructure powering over 1,300 custom LSTs with pooled liquidity
Liquid stakingSolanaAudited
Solana liquid and native staking protocol automating delegation across validators since 2021
No KYCLiquid staking · Native stakingSolanaAudited
Solana liquid staking protocol capturing MEV rewards with over $1B in TVL
No KYCLiquid stakingSolanaAudited
Decentralized Ethereum liquid staking backed by permissionless node operators and a 0.01 ETH minimum
No KYCLiquid stakingEthereumAudited
Ethereum liquid staking with 600+ node operators and a 10% rewards fee
Liquid stakingEthereumAudited
Distributed validator protocol securing over 7 million ETH across 120,000 active validators
Staking poolEthereumAudited