Katana Launches Private Mainnet Boosting DeFi Yields 50%

Katana, a decentralized finance (DeFi) optimized blockchain, has launched its private mainnet, marking a significant development in the DeFi landscape. Developed through a collaboration between GSR and Polygon Labs, Katana aims to enhance asset productivity through higher yields and deep liquidity. The platform aggregates liquidity into a select set of protocols, including Morpho for lending, Sushi for spot DEX, and Vertex for perpetual DEX, to create a self-sustaining DeFi engine designed for long-term growth.

The infrastructure of Katana is built on cdk-opgeth, a custom stack derived from the OP Stack and connected to Agglayer, which uses ZK proofs to ensure security and fast transaction finality. The network is supported by Conduit’s high-performance G2 sequencer, ensuring efficient and secure transactions. The platform is backed by several top-tier strategic partners, which provide liquidity management, cross-chain transaction support, and technical guidance.

The Katana Foundation, a non-profit organization, has unveiled KAT, the native token designed to align users with the network. Built on a vote-escrow model, KAT gives holders governance power over value flows within Katana. Users can pre-deposit ETH, USDC, USDT, or WBTC to receive KAT in a free lootbox, which can be locked to obtain veKAT and gain voting rights over how KAT emissions are allocated among core apps. This model aligns incentives with the protocols that drive real liquidity and network growth.

Katana addresses the challenges of fragmented liquidity and value leakage in the DeFi space by concentrating liquidity to minimize slippage and stabilize borrowing and lending rates. The platform offers a unified ecosystem where every asset works harder, unlocking latent value and generating sustainable yields superior to those on other platforms. Key ecosystem participants include Morpho for optimized lending and borrowing, Sushi for deep spot liquidity and aggregator-powered trading, and Vertex for capital-efficient perpetuals trading.

To tackle DeFi’s biggest challenges, Katana relies on five core pillars: VaultBridge, Network Fees, AUSD Revenue, Core App Emissions, and KAT Emissions. These pillars power a sustainable yield engine that grows as bridged assets, AUSD deposits, and sequencer fees increase. Katana’s profitability scales with its activity, ensuring that users benefit from higher yields and deeper liquidity.

The Katana Foundation has emphasized that the platform's TVL never sits idle. Assets are actively deployed across lending, trading, and yield strategies to maximize capital efficiency and user returns. Unlike other ecosystems where bridging assets can inflate vanity TVL metrics, on Katana every deposit works to generate real value. Applications earn revenue from that activity, enabling them to further enhance the user experience.

Katana’s private mainnet is now operational, offering developers and early adopters access to its core applications. The public mainnet launch is slated for June, and users can make pre-deposits to earn KAT for getting in early. The platform aims to provide a radically different DeFi experience, bolstered by strategic partners and designed to deliver deep liquidity and maximize yields for users alike.