Shardeum Launches Mainnet with 1.4M Participants, 171K Validators

Shardeum, an innovative layer 1 blockchain network, has successfully launched its Mainnet on May 5th, 2025. This significant milestone follows an extensive testnet phase that saw over 1.4 million global participants and more than 171,000 physically run validator nodes, setting a new record for Layer 1 testnets. The Mainnet launch signifies the transition from a prolonged period of research and development to the deployment of a live Layer 1 network, marking a major advancement in the network’s mission to solve the blockchain trilemma.

The blockchain trilemma refers to the challenge of achieving decentralization, scalability, and security simultaneously. Shardeum aims to provide a solution by enabling global users and developers to experience these three aspects without compromising any one of them. The network’s innovative use of autoscaling technology is central to this goal, allowing it to dynamically adjust its capacity based on demand.

Srini Parthasarathy, Chief Technology Officer of Shardeum, emphasized the network’s commitment to an open, inclusive, and truly scalable future for Web3. He highlighted that the Mainnet launch is not just a technical achievement but a demonstration that the blockchain trilemma can be solved. The unprecedented validator participation during the testnet phase underscores the community’s support and the network’s accessibility, as running a node is designed to be straightforward and requires no heavy hardware or large stake.

Adam Struck, Managing Partner at Struck Crypto, praised Shardeum for proving that scale, security, and true community ownership can coexist on a single Layer 1. He noted that the network’s autoscaling capabilities and the ease of becoming a validator are key factors that will drive the next wave of Web3 applications. The launch of the Mainnet with a record-size grassroots validator set is seen as a significant milestone that bolsters confidence in Shardeum’s potential.

With the Mainnet launch, Shardeum introduces several key features, including a permissionless validator network, autoscaling from day one, open-source development, and EVM compatibility. The network starts with 256 validators in two shards, with the ability to spin up a node in under one minute. This design ensures widespread community participation and maintains gas fees as low as $0.01, even under network congestion. The network’s dynamic state sharding and proprietary Proof-of-Quorum Optimistic (PoQo) consensus mechanism allow it to scale near-infinitely as more nodes join.

Shardeum’s open-source development approach is evident with the launch of over 60 open-source repositories and more than 32,000 stars on GitHub. The network is also EVM-compatible, supporting popular explorer tools and seamless integrations with major EVM-supporting wallets, including MetaMask. This compatibility ensures that developers can easily transition to Shardeum and build decentralized applications (dApps) on the network.

Shardeum is supported by a range of ecosystem partners, including PrimeVault for secure treasury operations, Mintair for validator and operator services, and Tokensoft for airdrop and token vesting management. The network is backed by prominent investors such as Struck Crypto, Amber Group, Big Brain Holdings, Foresight Ventures, Arrington Capital, Jsquare/DFG, Axelar Foundation, The Spartan Group, Ghaf Capital, Jane Street, Alphemy Capital, Balaji Srinivasan, and CoinGecko, among others. This backing reinforces Shardeum’s industry credibility and market readiness.

The total circulating supply of SHM at launch will be 249 million, with token generation and listings closely aligned with the Mainnet rollout. In the latter half of the year, developers are expected to begin testing smart-contract functionality, with stable dApp deployments following soon after. Global community events and meetups are planned to celebrate the launch, showcasing Shardeum’s vibrant decentralized community and transparent roadmap for future network upgrades.

With the Mainnet live, Shardeum transitions from vision to reality, empowering developers, validators, and users to participate in a live, permissionless, user-friendly blockchain environment. The network’s commitment to decentralization, scalability, and affordability positions it as a strong contender in the evolving Web3 landscape. For more information about Shardeum and its roadmap, users can visit https://shardeum.org/.