Kadena Launches Chainweb EVM Testnet to Attract Ethereum Developers

Kadena has made a significant move to attract Ethereum developers by announcing the launch of its Chainweb EVM testnet at EthCC in Cannes. This testnet operates on Kadena’s unique braided proof-of-work architecture, designed to scale horizontally without the fragmentation issues associated with discrete sequencers or bridges. According to Stuart Popejoy, Kadena’s co-founder and CEO, this architecture offers "seamless EVM compatibility without compromising decentralization or throughput."

Chainweb EVM initially supports five parallel EVM chains on the testnet, with the capability to expand this number as demand grows, while maintaining sub-cent transaction fees. Popejoy explained that the throughput increases linearly with the addition of more chains, ensuring that the network can handle increased demand efficiently. Kadena’s existing chains utilize Pact, a smart contract language prioritizing security, auditability, and formal verification, which is intentionally Turing-incomplete unlike Solidity.

Kadena is leveraging the network effects of Ethereum’s virtual machine, which is crucial for tooling and wallets. The company is positioning its proof-of-work roots as a strength, arguing that it provides the most secure and decentralized consensus technology available. This approach eliminates the need for sequencers and offers a more secure architecture, although this claim is debated within the industry.

One of the key challenges Kadena faces is onboarding Solidity developers, who may encounter significant UX complexity across multiple chains. Popejoy addressed this by highlighting Kadena’s multichain architecture, which has allowed dApps to scale linearly with demand since its launch in 2020. The upcoming Chainweb EVM launch aims to bring this technology to Solidity developers by adapting techniques from Pact and collaborating with builder partners to leverage advanced account abstraction and gas station functionality with the Pectra EVM upgrade.

To support the ecosystem, Kadena has announced a $50 million grant program. Half of this funding is allocated for Solidity-based dApps and AI integrations, while the other half is earmarked for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. Kadena’s compliance-first approach to RWA tokenization is designed to address critical challenges faced by institutions, including regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and institutional-grade security without sacrificing transaction speed or affordability. Early adopters like MPact Capital and CurveBlock have already chosen Kadena’s RWA standard for these reasons.

Despite the grants and ambitious claims, Kadena’s success will depend on its ability to attract and retain developers and users. The company aims to become the go-to platform for DeFi developers seeking to avoid high fees, slow transactions, and complex bridging. However, Kadena’s 30-second block times may feel slow compared to other L2s or platforms like Solana or Sui. The next few months leading up to the mainnet launch will be crucial in determining Kadena’s ability to deliver on its promises and provide an unparalleled EVM user experience.