private mainnet is live with public access coming in june. pre-deposit today.

this is katana, not just another general purpose chain, but a chain built from the ground up to fix the broken mechanics of defi, by katana foundation and incubated by polygon labs x gsr. the native token is KAT, the gas is ETH.

on katana, you win. yield and revenue cycle back to the network to give users and builders what they need: deeper liquidity & high yield.

pre-deposits are open: click here to deposit funds for rewards. your deposited assets will be available at public mainnet – late june 2025

defi deserves better

we love defi, but as it stands, the user experience isn’t being prioritized. liquidity is spread thin across different protocols & assets competing for attention, which leads to shallow liquidity in a fragmented landscape.

yields are typically sourced from emissions, and disappear fast. the smallest users find that sweet yields are short-lived incentives.

katana brings users, apps, and the network into alignment with a defi flywheel.

instead of short term token incentives, katana provides sustainably high yield.
instead of fragmenting liquidity, katana concentrates it.
instead of idle assets, katana pushes productivity.
instead of extracting value, katana returns it.

on katana, users come first.

deep liquidity

katana deepens defi liquidity by concentrating it in a core set of apps and assets. this prevents fragmentation across competing defi primitives.

100% of net sequencer fees and a cut of core app revenue also cycle back to the chain to build chain-owned liquidity (CoL). managed by katana foundation, CoL grows, supports deeper markets, better incentives, and makes defi more efficient. when markets get chaotic, CoL stays put – smoothing volatility and stabilizing rates.

more CoL means deeper markets, higher rewards, and a smoother user experience. bull or bear.

high yield

katana leverages multiple yield sources to drive higher yield than on any other chain. it does this by multiplying yield throughout the core apps.

yield sources:

• morpho vaults on ethereum via vaultbridge

• native AUSD

• a portion of CoL from sequencer fees

all yields fuel usage, and usage grows the network.

productive assets

it starts when you bridge.

bridged assets earn yield on ethereum via vaultbridge – this yield flows back to the network. your katana assets go to work on day one, creating higher yield opportunities for users.

for users that opt-in to vaultbridge, assets will be deposited into vaults on katana, so you’re earning by default. vaultbridge yield strategies are curated by gauntlet and steakhouse on L1, who both specialize in risk and optimization.

active users earn → apps earn

it's productive defi by design. as the network grows, yield grows, and liquidity deepens.

users win, apps win, the network wins.

core applications and assets

katana is opinionated, launching with a focused set of defi apps and assets to concentrate liquidity and prevent fragmentation, available day one.

core apps:

• morpho for optimized lending and borrowing

• sushi for deep spot trading liquidity

• vertex for capital-efficient perpetuals trading

core assets:

• agora for AUSD native stablecoin issuance

• bitvault for BTC backed yield-bearing stablecoins

• ether.fi for restaked ETH assets

• jito for staked SOL assets

• lombard for yield bearing BTC wrappers

• universal for cross-chain asset minting

strategic launch partners:

• agglayer for web3 interop

• blockworks for crypto media partner

• chainlink for powering onchain finance

• conduit for cdk op-geth stack

• den for multisig wallet front-end

• the graph for onchain data indexing

• turtle club for liquidity distribution protocol

• yearn for pre-deposit vaults

early movers have the advantage

katana is built to reward the people who show up, stay active, and push defi forward. that starts today.

katana’s pre-deposit campaign is live. win free krates containing exclusive rewards, including up to 10m KAT and rare NFTs. you get your deposits back when katana’s mainnet is live.

the deposited assets will lock, earning yield on yearn and morpho vaults on ethereum to incentivize even further defi activity. once public mainnet opens in june, your assets will be accessible to withdraw or left to grow, earning you even more yield directly on katana.

stop sleeping on your bags ⚔️

deposit now

risk and mitigations

given katana’s novel design decisions, there are certain risks that are described in katana’s technical documentation. As a result of those risks, several key mechanisms work together in an attempt to mitigate such risks and promote user safety and systemic resilience.

reserve

to reduce the risk of withdrawal delays when unwinding yield-generating activities, katana includes a reserve of ETH, USDC, USDT, and wBTC. this reserve is designed to cover unexpected liquidity shortfalls and duration mismatches that could arise during a large redemption event that delay withdrawals.

in extreme scenarios, where the withdrawal demand for a particular asset exceeds immediately available liquidity, katana’s chain-owned liquidity (CoL) also acts as a source of supplemental liquidity that may offset market volatility and support smoother redemption flows.

curators

the yield strategies for assets deposited into vaultbridge are managed by independent risk curators, gauntlet and steakhouse financial. these curators:

• design and monitor vault strategies using proven risk modeling

• select supported markets and set collateral parameters

• optimize for safety and performance while maintaining transparency

importantly, curators never custody user funds and do not hold governance rights over the assets. their role is advisory and strategic, ensuring that vault strategies operate within predefined risk tolerances set by the katana foundation.

audits and bug bounties

the network’s core smart contracts have undergone security audits. the source code, audits, and any existing bug bounties can be found here:

core app / token: sushiv3
source code: v3
audit(s): uniswapv3
bug bounty: yes

core app / token: morpho
source code: morpho-blue
audit(s): uniswapv3
bug bounty: yes

core app / token: yearn
source code: v3
audit(s): yearn-vaults-v3
bug bounty: yes

core app / token: vaultbridge: vbeth
source code: v1
audit(s): vault-bridge
bug bounty: n/a

for more information on katana’s core smart contracts, see katana: technical reference.

legal disclaimers

possible protocol risks

while katana’s architecture includes multiple safeguards, no defi system is immune to protocol risk. protocol operations may be affected by unforeseen technical failures, bugs in smart contracts, or breakdowns in third-party infrastructure.

external dependencies like yearn and morpho could experience disruptions, which in turn may impact the availability or performance of yield strategies. curators, though independent and experienced, could make poor risk assessments or respond inadequately to market volatility. in extreme cases, these failures could reduce liquidity, delay withdrawals, or impair asset value. while katana is designed to minimize these risks, users should understand that no amount of system design can eliminate all forms of protocol risk. for additional information about possible risks related to the protocol, smart contracts, KAT token, and crypto generally, please visit katana’s technical documentation.

terms and conditions

katana is a permissionless network. the katana foundation does not operate or control the network. the katana foundation supports the ecosystem through software development, research and coordination.

KAT is not an investment product. no part of this post constitutes investment advice, legal advice, or a recommendation to engage with digital assets.

any statements about roadmap, governance, utility, emissions, or ecosystem growth are subject to change. users should not rely on these statements. the katana foundation may update or change any part of this post at any time and is not required to announce or disclose those changes.

all software, including any smart contracts referenced in this post, is provided as-is, without warranties or guarantees of any kind. participation in katana, including use of KAT or interactions with smart contracts, is at your own risk. additional information about the risks of katana and KAT can be found in katana’s technical documentation. by using katana, or KAT, you agree to the terms and conditions of katana software and katana products, which can be found here.