Crypto exchange Kraken launched Ink L2 blockchain based on OP Stack: direct bridge to DeFi for 10 million Superchain users
One of the oldest and most authoritative cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, Kraken, has officially announced the launch of its own second-level blockchain Ink, built on the modular technology stack OP Stack. The new network officially joined the Superchain alliance under the auspices of the Optimism Collective, joining such large-scale ecosystems as Base from Coinbase, World Chain and OP Mainnet.
The project aims to erase the technological barrier between centralized finance (CeFi) and the on-chain economy (DeFi), providing more than 10 million verified Kraken clients with seamless access to smart contracts, credit markets and liquidity pools without having to leave the familiar interface of the exchange platform.
What are the architectural features of Ink and why is Kraken part of the Superchain alliance?
Development of its own second-layer network allows Kraken to radically transform the architecture of interaction with decentralized applications while maintaining an institutional level of security:
- Superchain standardization and native interoperability:Using the modular OP Stack codebase guarantees 100% EVM equivalence and seamless exchange of assets between all Superchain participants through a single messaging protocol. Ink users will be able to instantly move liquidity between the Ink, Base and OP Mainnet networks without using vulnerable third-party cross-chain bridges.
- Subsecond finalization and performance: Ink’s architecture is optimized for high-frequency trading and decentralized derivatives. The network subblock generation time is less than 200 milliseconds, providing a trading experience comparable to the performance of centralized exchange engines while maintaining cryptographic verification at the first level of Ethereum.
- Revenue Sharing with Optimism Collective:As part of its agreement to join Superchain, Kraken will donate a portion of its sequencer fees to the RetroPGF public benefit fund, supporting open source developers and Ethereum core infrastructure.
What benefits-exchange-users and independent-defi-developers receive?
The launch of Ink creates a single liquidity space that combines retail exchange capital with decentralized protocols:
- Instant, frictionless on-chain onboarding:Account Abstraction ERC-4337 integration and Passkey support allow Kraken users to interact with DeFi applications directly through their exchange balance. Transferring funds between an exchange account and smart contracts of the Ink network is carried out without commissions for input/output and without the need to manually pay for network gas in native tokens.
- Attracting flagship DeFi protocols: Since the first days of the test network, decentralized finance industry leaders have announced the deployment of liquidity pools on Ink, including the Aave landing protocol, the stablecoin ecosystem Ethena (USDe), the Curve Finance exchange and the derivatives platform Synthetix.
- Ink Ecosystem Fund Grant Program: The Ink Ecosystem Development Fund has launched a large-scale program of grant and mentoring support for independent smart contract developers. Particular focus is placed on the creation of hybrid financial instruments, tokenization of real assets (RWA) and institutional AMM protocols with protection against MEV attacks.
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