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Unlock Hacken Ecosystem With $HAI: Your Complete Guide

6 min read

By Hacken

Welcome!

We’re Hacken, an end-to-end blockchain security & compliance partner on a mission to make Web3 a safer place.

Since 2017, teams like Bybit, Binance, Ethereum Foundation, MetaMask, BNB Chain, Polygon (and 1,500+ others) have trusted us to keep their code safe. Our foundational goal has always been to make Web3 a more secure and trusted industry, paving the way for mass adoption.

This article is a complete guide to our approach to achieving that mission, with a deep dive into the HAI Group, its product ecosystem, and a full overview of the $HAI token's utility.

Transformation into the HAI Group

One of our long-term goals is to become a crypto company with a market capitalisation of one billion U.S. dollars. To accelerate this vision and build a lasting enterprise, in 2025, we are transitioning into the HAI Group — a parent holding company for the entire Hacken ecosystem. 

This new, federation-style structure establishes our key products, like HackenProof, Extractor, and Trust Army, as independent companies with their own teams and fundraising capabilities. HAI Group remains the primary owner to ensure all parts of the ecosystem are aligned toward our long-term objectives, positioning us for a potential future crypto IPO.

In a market that has shifted away from short-term hype, we believe the only path to sustainable, high-value growth is through building real infrastructure and fundamental utility. The HAI Group structure provides the foundation to achieve this, rewarding long-term vision over temporary speculation.

The HAI Group achieves this vision through three key pillars:

  • Secure: Offering comprehensive, full-lifecycle security. This includes pre-launch audits to ensure code is safe from day one, and advanced tools like Hacken Extractor for real-time monitoring and active threat prevention.
  • DeFi: Using innovative DeFi mechanics to build greater trust and transparency. Our model introduces Security Prediction Markets (e.g., HackPot) that allow the community to back the audit process, rewarding participants with sustainable Real Yield funded for real utility.
  • Educate: Trust Army combines regulator-approved methodology of DYOR education with its Alpha Intelligence subcommunity, a Research-to-Earn platform where certified members earn $HAI rewards for reviewing Web3 projects.

$HAI ties the HAI Group all together, providing access, real yield, and a voice in where we’re heading for clients, white hats, and token holders.

The Role of $HAI and the hAI App in the Hacken Ecosystem

$HAI is the central asset of the Hacken ecosystem and the upcoming HAI Group holding. It operates on VeChain as a main blockchain with CEXes and membership staking and as a LayerZero Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) via the Base network for on-chain utilities.

Holders interact with the token's utility via hAI App — a single entry point to the entire ecosystem.

How to get $HAI

  • Buy it via App or Exchange: The most direct method is to purchase $HAI on a supported centralized exchange (CEX) like Gate.io or Bybit.
  • Participate in Community Activities: Earn $HAI by contributing to the ecosystem through bug bounties, contests, and other community events.
  • Engage in Research-to-Earn: Join the Trust Army to complete research tasks and earn $HAI rewards.

Here’s what you can do with it in the hAI App:

  • Earn Real Yield: Stake in Flash Pools or HackPot to earn $USDC directly from Hacken's audit revenues, with APYs up to 180%.
  • Access Private Rounds: Mint $stHAI to secure guaranteed allocations in early-stage Web3 investments.

As a $HAI holder, you also gain:

  • Governance Rights: Participate in the hDAO to vote on key initiatives and proposals that shape the project's future.
  • Tokenized Ownership: Gain a stake in the Hacken Group holding company by participating in real-world assets (RWAs) like $HEDI and $HES.

hAI App available in:

App Store: https://hackenio.cc/AppStore 

Google Play: https://hackenio.cc/GooglePlay 

Flash Pools (→ HackPot)

Flash Pools introduce the first security prediction markets to Web3, powered by a sustainable, real-yield model.

The concept is simple: when a project undergoes a Hacken DualDefence security audit, participants can stake $HAI in a dedicated 30-day Flash Pool. This participation in a pool engages users in the security prediction market and backs the quality of the Hacken audit. In return, participants earn an APY in $USDC, funded directly by real value.

Each pool has two parts: • APY Pool — fully funded by Hacken in $USDC to pay stakers, • Bounty Pool — made up of community stake to reward white hats if they find critical bugs.

If a vulnerability is found, the white hat is paid from $HAI staked — and users still earn their yield. If not, participants get their $HAI back plus up to 180% APY in USDC.

HackPot scales this model across third-party audits Web3-wide.

$stHAI & Private Rounds

stHAI by staking $HAI in the hAI App. This liquid restaking token provides access to exclusive, early-stage private investment rounds. Each $stHAI allows users to get a 0.01% share of an allocation.

The base minting rate is 1 $stHAI per 1,000 $HAI staked monthly. This rate can be boosted by combining two types of multipliers:

1. Status Multipliers (Only the highest one applies)

Your Membership Role is determined by the amount of $HAI you have staked. Membership, along with other achievements, provides a boost to your $stHAI minting speed.

  • Level 1 Member (1k - 9.9k $HAI staked): 1.0x
  • Level 2 Associate (10k - 99.9k $HAI staked): 1.25x
  • Level 3 Partner (100k+ $HAI staked): 1.5x
  • Holding $HES: 2.0x
  • Holding a DYOR Certificate: 1.25x

2. Lock Multipliers

  • 18-month lock: 2.0x
  • 12-month lock: 1.5x
  • 6-month lock: 1.0x

These multipliers can be combined for a maximum 4.0x boost. For example, holding $HES (2.0x) with an 18-month lock (2.0x) results in the maximum minting speed of 4 $stHAI per 1,000 $HAI.

Trust Army

Trust Army is Hacken's Research-to-Earn (R2E) platform that trains and certifies experts to evaluate Web3 projects. Its comprehensive DYOR course covers key topics like tokenomics, smart contracts, and team verification through short, interactive lessons.

After completing the course, members receive a DYOR Certificate as a non-transferable soulbound token, verifying their expertise on-chain. 

This certificate grants access to Hacken Alpha Intelligence, a collaborative subcommunity where members earn $HAI rewards for reviewing projects. Here, they share in-depth analysis and publish findings, contributing to a more transparent and secure Web3 ecosystem.

The long-term vision is for Trust Army to become the industry standard for community-driven project evaluation. Similar to how cer.live created a security benchmark for CEXes, Trust Army aims to provide a constant, public audit of Web3 projects, powered by its global community of experts.

hDAO Governance

hDAO is the governing body of the Hacken ecosystem, enabling $HAI holders to influence the direction of the whole HAI Group. $HAI holders can submit proposals, vote on budgets, approve grants for new projects, and impact product development. 

The hDAO operates on a transparent and clear structure with designated roles, such as delegate voters and a Supreme Council. All grants and initiatives endorsed by the hDAO are funded by the Hacken treasury.

Tokenized ownership in the HAI Group

HAI Group serves as the parent company of the Hacken ecosystem, positioning itself for a potential crypto IPO in the future. It holds a stake in Hacken Services and owns all of its key products, including HackenProof, Trust Army, and Hacken Intelligence.

Our vision is a federation-style model where each key product operates as an autonomous unit. This approach gives their dedicated teams the freedom and ownership to innovate and grow independently, while HAI Group serves as the core unifying entity to align long-term incentives across the entire ecosystem.

This new structure changes the roles of the ecosystem's tokens:

  • $HAI is transitioning towards a security-token role, providing holders with access to the growth and success of the entire Hacken ecosystem.
  • HEDI (Hacken Engineers Day Index) offers price-protected investment exposure to $HAI, supported by tier-1 security services — serving as a synthetic, revenue-linked asset for risk-managed entry.
  • $HES (Hacken Equity Shares) represent genuine, tokenised ownership in Hacken, a pioneering move for a crypto company offering its community a stake in the actual business. Based on the first Hacken Round, one $HES was equivalent to 1 million $HAI. 

This initial group of HES holders, as early pioneers, will receive the most favorable terms during the future transition to a fully regulated security token model.

This entire evolution is the foundation of our long-standing strategy of building one of the most valuable enterprises in Web3 with a market capitalization of 1 billion U.S. dollars.

Conclusion

The single most significant barrier holding back the mass adoption of Web3 is not a complicated technology or the need for more regulation. It's a fundamental lack of trust. Every project that fails and every user who loses funds pushes the mainstream audience further away, lowering confidence in the entire industry. 

We believe the only way to bring the next billion users into Web3 is to make it a fundamentally safer and more transparent place. This principle is the driving force behind our evolution from a security auditor into a Hacken Group ecosystem.

The $HAI token is the instrument that brings this mission to life, placing the tools for building trust directly into the hands of our community. It is the key that unlocks the tools for change. $HAI empowers users to create public accountability through Trust Army, and ensures the value generated by a safer ecosystem is shared with the community that helps build it.

Table of contents

  • The Role of $HAI and the hAI App in the Hacken Ecosystem

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