diff --git a/app/globals.css b/app/globals.css
index 6a14141..0b26c52 100644
--- a/app/globals.css
+++ b/app/globals.css
@@ -298,11 +298,50 @@ a.cta-primary:focus-visible {
   outline-offset: 9px;
 }
 
+/* The status link under the hero terminal. Raw --whisper is ~3.5:1 on
+   paper, short of AA at body size, so the value text uses whisper mixed
+   68% with ink (~6.6:1). The label is ink like the stat labels; the dot
+   and the arrow keep the full accent. */
+a.hero-status {
+  color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--whisper) 68%, var(--ink));
+}
+
+.hero-status-text {
+  padding-bottom: 1px;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;
+  transition: border-bottom-color 260ms cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.8, 0.2, 1);
+}
+
+a.hero-status:hover .hero-status-text {
+  border-bottom-color: currentColor;
+}
+
+a.hero-status .arrow {
+  margin-right: 0;
+  transition: transform 260ms cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1);
+}
+
+a.hero-status:hover .arrow {
+  transform: translateX(6px);
+}
+
+.status-live {
+  width: 7px;
+  height: 7px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: var(--whisper);
+  animation: fleet-pulse 2.4s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
 @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
   a.cta-primary,
-  a.cta-primary .arrow {
+  a.cta-primary .arrow,
+  a.hero-status .arrow {
     transition: none;
   }
+  .status-live {
+    animation: none;
+  }
 }
 
 /* --- hero terminal -----------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/components/site/Hero.tsx b/components/site/Hero.tsx
index 7589c60..a698c21 100644
--- a/components/site/Hero.tsx
+++ b/components/site/Hero.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 import { links } from "@/lib/links";
-import { HERO_FIGURES, HERO_HEADLINE, HERO_LEAD } from "@/lib/copy";
+import {
+  HERO_FIGURES,
+  HERO_HEADLINE,
+  HERO_LEAD,
+  HERO_STATUS,
+} from "@/lib/copy";
 import { highlightBrand } from "@/components/ui/brand";
 import { Figure } from "@/components/ui/Figure";
 import { Frame } from "@/components/ui/Frame";
@@ -25,8 +30,11 @@ export function Hero() {
           </span>
         </h1>
 
-        <div className="grid gap-10 @4xl:grid-cols-[minmax(0,1fr)_minmax(0,440px)] @4xl:items-start @4xl:gap-12">
-          <div className="flex flex-col gap-8 @4xl:gap-12">
+        {/* At @4xl the stats and the status link share row 2 so they
+            baseline-align; below it, DOM order stacks lead/CTAs, stats,
+            terminal, then the link. */}
+        <div className="grid gap-y-10 @4xl:grid-cols-[minmax(0,1fr)_minmax(0,440px)] @4xl:items-start @4xl:gap-x-12 @4xl:gap-y-14">
+          <div className="flex flex-col gap-10 @4xl:col-start-1 @4xl:row-start-1 @4xl:gap-16">
             <p className="rise rise-3 max-w-[64ch] text-body leading-[1.65]">
               {highlightBrand(HERO_LEAD)}
             </p>
@@ -66,15 +74,37 @@ export function Hero() {
                 </a>
               </div>
             </div>
+          </div>
 
-            <div className="rise rise-5 grid grid-cols-2 gap-y-4 @xl:grid-cols-4">
-              {HERO_FIGURES.map((figure) => (
-                <Figure key={figure.label} {...figure} />
-              ))}
-            </div>
+          <div className="rise rise-5 grid grid-cols-2 gap-y-4 @xl:grid-cols-4 @4xl:col-start-1 @4xl:row-start-2 @4xl:self-baseline">
+            {HERO_FIGURES.map((figure) => (
+              <Figure key={figure.label} {...figure} />
+            ))}
           </div>
 
-          <HeroTerminal className="block w-full" />
+          <HeroTerminal className="block w-full @4xl:col-start-2 @4xl:row-start-1" />
+
+          {/* Mirrors Figure's label/value lines so it baseline-aligns with
+              the stat strip beside it. */}
+          <a
+            className="hero-status rise rise-5 flex flex-col gap-1 justify-self-start @4xl:col-start-2 @4xl:row-start-2 @4xl:self-baseline"
+            href={links.stats}
+            target="_blank"
+            rel="noopener noreferrer"
+          >
+            <span className="meta text-ink opacity-60">
+              {HERO_STATUS.label}
+            </span>
+            <span className="flex items-center gap-3 text-body font-medium tracking-[-0.01em]">
+              <span aria-hidden className="status-live" />
+              <span className="hero-status-text inline-flex items-center gap-2">
+                {HERO_STATUS.value}
+                <span className="arrow" aria-hidden>
+                  →
+                </span>
+              </span>
+            </span>
+          </a>
         </div>
       </div>
     </Frame>
diff --git a/lib/copy.ts b/lib/copy.ts
index 8b4c04d..b63bb26 100644
--- a/lib/copy.ts
+++ b/lib/copy.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ export const HERO_FIGURES = [
   { label: "gas overhead", value: "<1%" },
 ] as const satisfies readonly FigureCopy[];
 
+/** The status link under the hero terminal. Shaped like FigureCopy so it
+ *  shares the stat strip's label/value type (rendered inline in Hero, not
+ *  through Figure). */
+export const HERO_STATUS = {
+  label: "see also",
+  value: "Status website",
+} as const satisfies FigureCopy;
+
 export const COMPARE_HEADLINE = [
   "information scaled.",
   "supply didn't.",
diff --git a/lib/links.ts b/lib/links.ts
index 4b97526..1b595b8 100644
--- a/lib/links.ts
+++ b/lib/links.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export const links = {
   litepaper: "/decdn_litepaper.pdf",
   presskit: "/presskit/decdn-presskit.zip",
   docs: "https://docs.decdn.org/overview/introduction",
+  stats: "https://stats.decdn.org/",
   blog: "/blog/",
   contact: `mailto:${EMAIL}`,
   privacy: "/legal/privacy/",