Lost Access to Hyperliquid? OneKey Recovery Options

First: Confirm You’re Using the Real Hyperliquid

Before attempting any recovery steps, make sure you’re not interacting with a phishing clone. At minimum:

• Start from Hyperliquid’s official documentation and navigate from there: Hyperliquid Docs
• Be extra cautious with “support” DMs, sponsored search ads, and links shared in chats

Why this matters: “recovery” scams often trick users into signing malicious messages or revealing secrets. Even if you never type a seed phrase, a single bad signature can be enough to lose funds.

What “Lost Access” Usually Means on Hyperliquid

Hyperliquid’s design is closer to an on-chain financial system than a typical custodial exchange. So the fix depends on which key you lost.

Scenario A: You Lost the Master Wallet (Your Main Signing Key)

This is the most serious case. If the wallet that originally controlled your Hyperliquid account is gone (lost phone, wiped browser wallet, lost hardware device), you’ll need your backup (seed phrase / private key / keystore).

If you don’t have it, you generally can’t sign account actions anymore—so you may be unable to withdraw.

Scenario B: You Lost an API / Agent Wallet Key (Automation Key)

Hyperliquid supports API wallets (agent wallets) that can sign on behalf of a master account for trading and automation. Hyperliquid’s developer docs describe how API wallets are approved and how nonce management works for signing. See: Nonces and API wallets.

Good news: losing an agent key is usually recoverable as long as you still control the master wallet.

Scenario C: You’re “Connected” but on the Wrong Network (HyperEVM vs HyperCore)

Since 2025, Hyperliquid has expanded with HyperEVM (chain ID 999). It’s easy to get confused about where assets live and which wallet network settings you’re using.

Hyperliquid’s onboarding docs show the correct HyperEVM configuration and transfer flow: How to use the HyperEVM. For dev-level details (RPC, EIP-1559 behavior, chain ID), see: HyperEVM (Developer Docs).

A Quick Decision Tree (Pick Your Path)

1) Can you still sign messages/transactions with the original wallet?

• Yes → Immediately secure funds: rotate keys, revoke access where possible, withdraw/transfer to a new wallet you control.
• No → Go to step 2.

2) Do you have any backup of the master wallet?

• Seed phrase / recovery phrase → Restore wallet, then access Hyperliquid again.
• Private key or keystore file → Import and regain signing control.
• No backup → Recovery is likely not possible (details below).

Recovering the Master Wallet: What Actually Works

Option 1: Restore from a Seed Phrase (Most Common)

If your wallet was created from a recovery phrase, restoring that phrase recreates the same addresses and keys. This is the standard crypto recovery model.

Important details to double-check:

• Word order and spelling (one typo breaks everything)
• Any optional passphrase you used (often called the “25th word”)—without it, you’ll restore a different wallet

Option 2: Import a Private Key or Keystore File (If That’s How It Was Created)

Some users don’t use a seed phrase for a specific account and instead imported a raw private key or used a keystore file. In that case, the seed phrase you think is associated may not actually recover the address.

A clear summary of what’s possible (and what isn’t) if you lost the private key is explained here: Etherscan: What do I do if I lost my Private Key? and here: MyEtherWallet: Lost Private Key.

Option 3: No Backup at All (Hard Truth)

If you can’t sign and you don’t have the seed phrase/private key/keystore, you generally cannot recover access—because nobody (including the app) can generate your key for you.

That’s not a Hyperliquid-specific rule; it’s how self-custody works. As MyEtherWallet puts it, they can’t recover keys, access accounts, or reverse transactions because they don’t hold user secrets. (Reference: MyEtherWallet: Lost Private Key)

Recovering an API / Agent Wallet (If Your Master Wallet Still Works)

If your issue is “my bot stopped working” or “I lost the API private key,” the fix is usually to approve a new agent wallet and rotate.

Hyperliquid’s API endpoint documentation shows the approval action (approveAgent) and key parameters: Approve an API wallet (Exchange endpoint). Their nonce and agent wallet behavior is also documented here: Nonces and API wallets.

Practical steps:

• Generate and approve a new agent wallet
• Update your automation tooling to use the new agent key
• Stop using the old agent key (treat it as compromised if you’re unsure where it was stored)

Security note: agent keys can sign trades, and depending on how you operate, a leaked key can still cause serious damage (even if withdrawals are restricted).

If You Need to Move Funds: Understand the Bridge and Withdrawal Flow

When you regain signing access, move first, optimize later. If you suspect compromise, your priority is to exit positions and withdraw/transfer to a fresh wallet.

Hyperliquid’s bridge docs explain the validator-signed deposit/withdrawal mechanics, including signature thresholds and dispute handling: Bridge (Hyperliquid Docs).

A few key implications from the design:

• Deposits/withdrawals involve validator signatures and threshold rules (not just a single centralized hot wallet)
• There is a defined withdrawal process and a dispute mechanism described in the docs
• Operationally, you should expect that timing and “finality” may not feel like a simple L2 wallet transfer

HyperEVM Checks (If the Problem Is Network Confusion)

If you “lost” tokens after switching to HyperEVM, it’s often just a visibility issue.

Use the official HyperEVM parameters:

• Chain ID 999 and RPC details are documented here: HyperEVM (Developer Docs)
• User onboarding steps (including how to add the network and move assets between Core and EVM) are here: How to use the HyperEVM
• If you prefer a quick wallet configuration reference, Chainlist lists chain 999 here: Chainlist: Hyperliquid (999)

Also note that HyperEVM uses an EIP-1559 fee market model; for the underlying spec, see: EIP-1559. This matters when you’re troubleshooting “failed transactions” or unexpected fee behavior.

Why This Is Getting Harder: Signatures Are the New Attack Surface

Even when you don’t lose your seed phrase, many users lose funds by signing the wrong thing.

A recent industry data point: Scam Sniffer’s analysis (reported publicly) indicates signature-based phishing and wallet drainer scams remain active, even as total losses fluctuated with market conditions. See: Cointelegraph coverage on 2025 phishing losses.

Takeaway: “I didn’t share my seed phrase” is no longer enough. You also need to defend against:

• Malicious approval prompts
• Fake “reconnect wallet” popups
• Impersonated support workflows that push you to sign “verification” messages

Where OneKey Fits: Recovery That’s Actually Testable

A strong recovery plan has two properties:

1. You can restore access without relying on any company
2. You can practice it safely with small amounts

A hardware wallet setup like OneKey can help in two practical ways that map directly to Hyperliquid risks:

• Offline key storage + on-device confirmations: reduces the chance that malware on your computer can steal the master private key during HyperEVM or web trading interactions.
• Structured backups: you can keep a recovery phrase offline (and optionally use more advanced backup strategies like split backups) so losing a device doesn’t mean losing access.

If Hyperliquid is a core venue for your on-chain trading, consider separating roles:

• Master wallet (secured with OneKey, rarely used)
• Agent/API wallets (rotated regularly, limited exposure, stored with strict operational security)

Minimal Prevention Checklist (Do This Before You Need Recovery)

• Write down your recovery phrase clearly and store it offline (never in screenshots or cloud notes)
• Test a restore process with a small wallet first (to confirm you understand passphrases, account paths, and your setup)
• Treat API/agent keys like real private keys: minimize where they live and rotate them
• Bookmark official docs and always navigate from known-good sources (start with Hyperliquid Docs)

Self-custody is powerful, but unforgiving. The best “recovery option” is the one you can execute calmly—because you already rehearsed it before anything went wrong.