Hypixel is a multiplayer Minecraft: Java Edition server network. Its address is mc.hypixel.net1). The server was created in 2012 and currently maintains an average player count above 20,000 players2), making it one of the largest Java Minecraft servers ever3).

Technical Details

Hypixel is hosted in Chicago4), and uses Cloudflare for DDOS protection. The server is highly distributed, and uses a fork of Spigot's BungeeCord to authenticate and connect players to server instances, which themselves run a fork of Spigot, Hygot.

1)
Hypixel's website tells you to use mc.hypixel.net, although _minecraft._tcp.hypixel.net points at mc.hypixel.net as well
2)
Player count graphs: https://hypixel.krashnz.com/
3)
It may have been surpassed by DonutSMP if you count bots and bedrock crossplay
4)
Chicago Illinois, in the United States of America, to be precise