Kadena, a public Layer 1 Proof of Work (PoW) blockchain, today announced on EthCC’s main stage that the Chainweb EVM testnet has been launched and the Chainweb EVM Developer Portal is open to all developers. Alongside the announcement of Kadena’s $50M grant program, the release highlights Kadena’s commitment to deliver an EVM-compatible, multi-chain network that functions as a decentralized alternative to Layer 2 rollups.
The testnet initially comprises five independent EVM chains running in parallel under Kadena’s Chainweb consensus. Each chain achieves the same merge-mined security as Bitcoin while benefiting from native cross-chain communication. Developers can deploy Solidity smart contracts on any Chainweb EVM chain, then move liquidity or assets between chains as easily as a single-chain token transfer.
Over 50 projects have already committed to launching on Chainweb EVM, with more than 200 developers currently building on the testnet. Confirmed participants include top-tier DeFi, infrastructure, and gaming protocols such as Sushiswap, Minterest, Eonian, Dexalot, Meta Lend, and Espotz — a list that continues to grow as the Chainweb EVM testnet develops further.
“We promised seamless EVM compatibility without compromising decentralization or throughput, and today we’re delivering,” said Stuart Popejoy, Kadena co-founder and CEO. “The Chainweb EVM testnet proves that true horizontal scaling can live on the base layer, not on a patchwork of rollups. Solidity builders now have a PoW backbone that keeps fees low, execution fast, and censorship out of the equation.”
Chainweb EVM will streamline the largest pool of Web3 developers, those already fluent in Solidity, to build on Kadena. To accelerate onboarding, Kadena engineers have published open-source tooling, network endpoints, and a faucet for testnet KDA. The dedicated Chainweb EVM Developer Portal aggregates documentation, example repos, and support channels, and has more information about the grant program.
The industry is demonstrating high demand before the Chainweb EVM testnet launch. Kadena is coordinating with a cohort of high-visibility partners spanning DeFi, infrastructure, and gaming who have agreed to deploy pilot contracts on the testnet during the coming weeks. Early commitments include cross-chain AMMs and liquidity routers, stablecoin protocols, high-throughput NFT and gaming back ends, and oracle providers already wiring Chainweb checkpoints into their feeds.
With these early integrations, Chainweb EVM aims to validate Kadena’s thesis that builders will benefit from a decentralized L1 with integrated cross-chain capability over fragmented rollup stacks.
Rollups offer temporary relief from Ethereum congestion, yet they rely on centralized sequencers, bridge risk, and complex fraud-proof machinery. Chainweb EVM tackles scale at the base layer. Every new chain adds throughput linearly while sharing PoW security; native Merkle-proof transfers move assets instantly across chains without third-party bridges; parallel execution holds gas fees near zero even at peak demand; and distributed mining eliminates single-sequencer bottlenecks.
Combined, these properties position Chainweb EVM as the L1 that offers the same benefits as an L2 without the trade-offs.
To accelerate development, Kadena recently announced a $50 million grant program — half of which is earmarked for Chainweb EVM projects. Kadena’s grants provide equity-free capital, technical mentorship, go-to-market support, and security reviews. Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis, and accepted teams will join a milestone-based funding track.
“Capital alone isn’t enough; developers need sustainable infrastructure,” Popejoy added. “Our grant program underwrites builders who share our vision that a truly decentralized, highly scalable EVM can unlock mainstream adoption.”
With today’s launch, Kadena invites Solidity engineers, auditors, tooling providers, and protocol designers to deploy contracts, stress-test cross-chain transfers, and submit feedback. Testnet documentation, network RPC URLs, and faucet links are available in the Chainweb EVM Developer Portal.
Development is ongoing. Mainnet will support a larger number of EVM chains, expanded indexer support, performance telemetry dashboards, and native cross-chain transfers, laying the groundwork for the future of the decentralized web.
About Kadena
Kadena is a public Layer 1 blockchain launched in the U.S. in 2016 by Stuart Popejoy and Will Martino, the creators of J.P. Morgan’s first blockchain and the leaders of the SEC’s Crypto Committee. Kadena delivers industry-leading performance as the only scalable Layer-1 Proof of Work blockchain and offers full EVM compatibility to run Solidity and Pact smart contracts, delivering low fees, high throughput, and enterprise‑grade security. Builders use Kadena to deploy DeFi protocols, tokenize real‑world assets, and integrate AI‑driven applications on a scalable, secure platform.
At its core, Kadena implements Chainweb, a braided, parallel-chain architecture that runs many chains concurrently while interlinking them via cross-chain uncle‑proofs. With dedicated grants, developer tools, and enterprise permissioning, Kadena empowers teams to build DeFi, AI, and tokenization projects on a scalable, low‑cost blockchain.
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