Serine/threonine kinase that acts as an essential activator of the Wnt signaling pathway. Recruited to promoters of Wnt target genes and required to activate their expression. May act by phosphorylating TCF4/TCF7L2. Appears to act upstream of the JUN N- terminal pathway. May play a role in the response to environmental stress. Part of a signaling complex composed of NEDD4, RAP2A and TNIK which regulates neuronal dendrite extension and arborization during development. More generally, it may play a role in cytoskeletal rearrangements and regulate cell spreading. Phosphorylates SMAD1 on Thr-322. Activator of the Hippo signaling pathway which plays a pivotal role in organ size control and tumor suppression by restricting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. MAP4Ks act in parallel to and are partially redundant with STK3/MST2 and STK4/MST2 in the phosphorylation and activation of LATS1/2, and establish MAP4Ks as components of the expanded Hippo pathway (PubMed:26437443). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:10521462, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15342639, ECO:0000269|PubMed:19061864, ECO:0000269|PubMed:19816403, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20159449, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21690388, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26437443}. This is the function of TNIK (TRAF2 and NCK interacting kinase, ENSG00000154310).