Polygon and GSR have officially launched the Katana DeFi-focused layer-2 blockchain mainnet, securing more than $230 million in pre-deposits ahead of the launch. Katana aims to unify decentralized finance (DeFi) liquidity by addressing fragmentation across DeFi protocols, enhancing user experience, and improving market dynamics.
With $232 million secured in deposits, which surged from $75 million to $232 million in June, Katana received strong institutional backing and community interest. The platform integrates with established protocols such as Sushi and Morpho, enabling yield farmers to earn the native KAT token, as well as randomized NFT rewards called Krates for pre-depositors.
Katana introduces innovative features like VaultBridge to generate yield on assets deposited on Ethereum and Chain-owned Liquidity (CoL), which retains sequencer fees within the protocol to strengthen liquidity reserves. The chain's blockchain-agnostic design also allows interoperability with other ecosystems, including Solana, through partnerships like that with liquid staking protocol Jito.
Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, emphasized Katana's mission to unify DeFi liquidity to create seamless experiences. This marks a significant step for polygon's layer-2 solutions and GSR’s liquidity expertise in reshaping the DeFi landscape. Market data and initial community feedback are positive, signaling potential for increased adoption and enhanced DeFi protocol consolidation.
