Kadena, the public Layer-1 Proof of Work (PoW) blockchain network, has announced the launch of the Chainweb EVM testnet from the EthCC main stage and the Chainweb EVM Developer Portal is now open to all developers. This development, announced in conjunction with Kadena’s $50 million grant program, underscores Kadena’s commitment to bringing to life an EVM-compatible, multi-chain and decentralized Layer-2 rollup alternative.
Testnet will initially consist of five independent EVM chains running in parallel under Kadena’s Chainweb consensus mechanism. Each chain provides the same merge-mined security as Bitcoin and benefits from native cross-chain communication. Developers can deploy Solidity smart contracts to any Chainweb EVM chain, easily moving assets or liquidity between chains.
Currently, more than 50 projects have committed to launch on Chainweb EVM, while more than 200 developers are actively working on the testnet. Approved projects include leading DeFi, infrastructure and gaming protocols such as Sushiswap, Minterest, Eonian, Dexalot, Meta Lend and Espotz. The list of participants continues to expand every day.
Stuart Popejoy, Co-Founder and CEO of Kadena, said:
“We promised to deliver full EVM compatibility without sacrificing decentralization or transaction capacity, and today we are delivering on that promise. The Chainweb EVM testnet proves that true horizontal scaling can happen at the base layer, not in rollups. Solidity developers now have low transaction fees, fast execution and a censorship-resistant PoW infrastructure.”
Chainweb EVM aims to attract Web3 developers familiar with the Solidity language to the Kadena network. Kadena engineers have released open source tools, network endpoints and testnet KDA faucet for testnet. The Chainweb EVM Developer Portal brings together documentation, sample repos and support channels in one place, while also providing detailed information about the grant program.
Even before the launch of Testnet, there was high demand in the industry. Kadena collaborated with leading partners in DeFi, infrastructure and gaming on pilot contract deployments. Initial commitments include cross-chain AMMs and liquidity routers, stablecoin protocols, high throughput NFT and gaming infrastructures, oracle providers.
Chainweb EVM aims to prove that a decentralized L1 (Layer-1) network is more advantageous than rollup solutions by offering integrated cross-chain capability.
While rollups temporarily reduce congestion on Ethereum, they are dependent on centralized sequencers, bridge risks and complex fraud-proof structures. Chainweb EVM solves scaling at the base layer:
- Each new chain adds transaction capacity linearly by sharing PoW security.
- Native Merkle-proof transfers enable instant cross-chain asset migration without the need for third-party bridges.
- Parallel execution keeps gas fees to a minimum even during peak times.
- Distributed mining eliminates centralized sequencer bottlenecks.
All these features make Chainweb EVM a unique alternative that offers the advantages of L2 solutions at the L1 level without compromise.
Kadena has allocated half of its recently announced $50 million grant program to Chainweb EVM projects. The grant program includes capital support, technical mentoring, market entry support and security reviews. Applications are evaluated on an ongoing basis and accepted teams are put through a funding process tied to milestones.
Popejoy said, “Capital alone is not enough; developers need a sustainable infrastructure. Our grant program supports developers who share our vision of a decentralized and highly scalable EVM.”
Starting today, Kadena invites Solidity developers, auditors, tool providers and protocol designers to deploy their contracts, test cross-chain transfers and provide feedback. Testnet documentation, network RPC URLs and faucet links are available on the Chainweb EVM Developer Portal.
The development process is ongoing. More EVM chains, advanced indexer support, performance monitoring panels and local cross-chain transfers are planned in the Mainnet phase. This is a solid foundation for the future of the decentralized web.
About Kadena
Founded in 2016 in the US by Stuart Popejoy and Will Martino, Kadena is a public Layer-1 blockchain network. The founders are the creators of J.P. Morgan’s first blockchain and leaders of the SEC Crypto Committee. Kadena is the only scalable Layer-1 PoW blockchain and offers smart contract execution in both Solidity and Kadena’s own language, Pact. It provides developers with a powerful infrastructure with the advantages of low transaction fees, high transaction capacity and enterprise-grade security.
Kadena is built on the Chainweb architecture, where multiple chains run in parallel and interconnect to enable cross-chain communication. With grant programs, developer tools and enterprise permissioned solutions, Kadena supports DeFi, AI and tokenization projects.
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