Hyperliquid Testnet Guide 2026: Faucet, Mock USDC, API and HyperEVM

The short version: Hyperliquid testnet lives at app.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz. To claim the faucet (1,000 mock USDC) the same address must have deposited on mainnet first. Developers point the API at https://api.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz instead of https://api.hyperliquid.xyz; HyperEVM testnet uses chain ID 998 (mainnet is 999). Testnet balances, approvals and agent wallets are completely separate from mainnet, and nothing you earn there is real.

What the Hyperliquid testnet is for

The testnet is a separate copy of the Hyperliquid stack (HyperCore order books plus HyperEVM) that uses mock funds. It is the right place to:

• Learn the trading UI — order types, TP/SL, leverage and margin modes — without risking money
• Test a trading bot, an API script in Python or an API (agent) wallet setup before going live
• Deploy and test smart contracts on the HyperEVM
• Rehearse a strategy's mechanics (order placement, cancels, reduce-only exits) end to end

What it is not good for: judging real liquidity, slippage or funding. Testnet books are thin and populated by other testers, so fills and prices there say little about how the same order would behave on mainnet.

Testnet vs mainnet at a glance

	Mainnet	Testnet
Trading app	app.hyperliquid.xyz	app.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz
API base URL	https://api.hyperliquid.xyz	https://api.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz
HyperEVM chain ID	999	998
HyperEVM JSON-RPC	https://rpc.hyperliquid.xyz/evm	https://rpc.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz/evm
Funds	Real USDC (bridged)	Mock USDC from the faucet
Signing chain	"Mainnet"	"Testnet"

We checked both chain IDs against the live RPC endpoints (eth_chainId returns 0x3e7 = 999 on mainnet and 0x3e6 = 998 on testnet).

How to get testnet USDC (the faucet)

The official faucet is at https://app.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz/drip. The rule from the Hyperliquid docs is simple:

1. Deposit on mainnet first with the same address. The faucet only works for addresses that have a mainnet deposit history. (Mainnet deposits have a 5 USDC minimum — see our deposit and withdraw guide.)
2. Connect that same wallet to the testnet app.
3. Open the drip page and claim. Eligible addresses receive 1,000 mock USDC for testnet use.

The mainnet-deposit requirement exists to stop bots from draining the faucet. If you only want to explore the UI and never plan to trade, you still need that one deposit — there is no official way around it.

Email login? Your testnet address is different

This trips up a lot of people. If you log in to Hyperliquid with email, Privy generates a different wallet address for mainnet and testnet. Your mainnet deposit is therefore attached to an address the testnet app never sees, and the faucet refuses. The documented fix: export your email wallet from mainnet, import it into a wallet extension such as Rabby or MetaMask, and connect that extension to testnet. Treat the exported key with the same care as any private key — our wallet security guide covers safe storage.

Using the testnet API

Every documented request works on both networks; only the base URL changes. A quick read-only check against testnet with no keys:

curl -s -X POST https://api.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz/info \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"type":"clearinghouseState","user":"0xYourAddress"}'

In the official Python SDK the URLs are constants, so switching networks is one argument:

from hyperliquid.info import Info
from hyperliquid.utils import constants

info = Info(constants.TESTNET_API_URL, skip_ws=True)   # https://api.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz
print(info.user_state("0xYourAddress")["marginSummary"])

# when you are ready for real money:
# info = Info(constants.MAINNET_API_URL, skip_ws=True)  # https://api.hyperliquid.xyz

Under the hood, signatures are network-specific. The SDK signs L1 actions (orders, cancels) with a phantom-agent source of "a" on mainnet and "b" on testnet, and user-signed actions (transfers, withdrawals, agent approvals) carry hyperliquidChain: "Mainnet" or "Testnet". A signature produced for one network will not be valid on the other, which is a useful safety net: a test script cannot accidentally fire a real order just because you forgot to change one line — as long as the URL and the signing flag agree.

Agent wallets and nonces are per network

Because testnet is a separate chain state, an API wallet approved on mainnet does not exist on testnet and vice versa. Approve a dedicated agent on testnet, test with it, then approve a fresh one on mainnet. Rate limits follow the same published rules on both (for example, REST requests share a weight budget of 1,200 per minute per IP), so testnet is also a good place to find out whether your bot is too chatty.

Testnet market parameters can differ

Do not assume a market behaves identically on both networks. When we queried the meta endpoint of each API in October 2026, mainnet listed 234 perp markets and testnet 212, and SOL's max leverage was 20x on mainnet versus 10x on testnet (BTC was 40x on both). Always read meta from the network you are actually trading on, and re-check size decimals and leverage limits before promoting a bot. For how leverage limits translate into liquidation distance, see the leverage guide.

HyperEVM testnet

To add HyperEVM testnet to a wallet, use chain ID 998 and RPC https://rpc.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz/evm. HYPE is the native gas token and has 18 decimals on both networks. As on mainnet, moving HYPE from HyperCore to HyperEVM is done by sending it to the system address 0x2222222222222222222222222222222222222222. There is no official HyperEVM frontend, so interactions go through JSON-RPC, your own frontend or standard EVM tooling.

A sensible testnet-to-mainnet checklist

1. Run the full flow on testnet: place, modify and cancel orders, attach TP/SL, close with reduce-only.
2. Log every response and error; confirm your code handles rejections (tick size, min size, margin).
3. Switch the base URL and the mainnet signing flag together, then approve a new mainnet agent wallet.
4. Start with small size on mainnet — testnet liquidity hides real slippage.
5. Track the live wallet from day one so you see true PnL after fees and funding.

Track the real thing with Hyperfolio

Testnet PnL is play money; mainnet PnL is what matters. Hyperfolio is a free, read-only PWA: paste a mainnet Hyperliquid address and see positions, realized and unrealized PnL, funding and fees — no keys, no signup, so it can safely watch the wallet your bot trades from (see why no API keys are needed). And if you have not set a referral code on mainnet yet, the code HYPERFOLIO gives 4% off trading fees (how it works).

FAQ

Is the Hyperliquid testnet free?

Yes. The testnet itself costs nothing and the faucet USDC is mock money. The only requirement is a prior mainnet deposit from the same address to claim the faucet.

Why does the faucet say I'm not eligible?

Usually because the connected address never deposited on mainnet — most often an email-login user whose Privy testnet address differs from the mainnet one. Export the mainnet wallet, import it into Rabby or MetaMask and connect that to testnet.

How much does the faucet give?

1,000 mock USDC per eligible address, according to the official docs.

Can I move testnet funds to mainnet?

No. Testnet assets have no value and cannot be bridged or withdrawn to mainnet.

What is the Hyperliquid testnet API URL?

https://api.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz (mainnet is https://api.hyperliquid.xyz). In the Python SDK use constants.TESTNET_API_URL.

What is the HyperEVM testnet chain ID?

998, with RPC https://rpc.hyperliquid-testnet.xyz/evm. Mainnet is chain ID 999.

Do testnet results predict mainnet performance?

Only the mechanics. Liquidity, slippage, funding and even some market parameters differ, so validate on mainnet with small size.