This work introduces the Kernel Ontology Principle (KOP), a meta-framework in theoretical physics proposing that every coherent universe originates from a minimal relational structure – its Kernel. All higher-order physical laws, mathematical formalisms and emergent complexities arise as projections of this foundational structure. In contrast to the Mathematical Universe Hypothesis, which equates reality with mathematics, KOP argues that mathematics is an epistemic representation of a deeper ontological architecture encoded in the Kernel. In its strong formulation, this structure can be compressed into a single generative relation – the Fundamental Kernel Relation (FKR). The goal of KOP is to explain why mathematics unifies physical laws so effectively and why diverse physical theories share deep structural symmetries. Unification, in this view, is not a coincidence but a natural consequence of a universe generated by a minimally sufficient relational core. This provides a principled account of the consistency between quantum theory, geometry, thermodynamics and information. KOP establishes a three-layer ontological hierarchy:• Ontology – the Kernel as the primary relational substrate.• Epistemology – mathematics as the representational language of Kernel relations.• Physics – effective laws arising from Kernel structure across scales.This hierarchy explains the universality of mathematics and the cross-scale coherence observed in empirical science. KOP also connects with other components of the author’s information-based cosmological framework. In Information-Centric Cosmogenesis (ICC), universes arise from minimal informational kernels that become autonomous physical domains once relational complexity reaches a critical threshold. ICC provides the cosmogenetic setting in which KOP’s Kernel concept becomes operational. The Energy–Information Continuity Hypothesis (EIK) complements this by proposing that informational change has an energetic cost, implying that kernel formation is fundamentally energetic as well as relational. The Dark Energy as Topological Pressure (DETP) model extends these ideas to cosmology by interpreting cosmic acceleration as a geometric response to increasing relational complexity, offering a large-scale manifestation of Kernel-level invariants. Methodologically, KOP introduces a three-path reconstruction program: Cross-scale analysis to identify persistent relational invariants. Diachronic extrapolation toward structurally minimal early-universe states. Axiomatic minimisation to isolate the essential relational requirements for any self-consistent universe. KOP is designed to be testable and falsifiable. It predicts specific relational invariances, provides explicit conditions for empirical violation and constrains any attempt at a unified fundamental equation. As part of the linked ICC–EIK–DETP framework, KOP offers an ontological foundation for a fully information-centric understanding of physical law, spacetime geometry and cosmological evolution. This work belongs to the Information Kernel Framework (IKF) collection. The complete set of foundational papers, including ontology, informational dynamics, cosmogenesis and complexity-driven cosmology, is available in the official IKF dataset at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17823353 For feedback or questions, contact: kh.researc@gmail.com