Polygon Labs and GSR Reveal DeFi-Focused Blockchain 'Katana(KATANA)' - "Mainnet Launch by Late June"

# Layer 2 Blockchain Katana Launches Private Mainnet to Elevate DeFi Ecosystem The Layer 2 blockchain, Katana, specifically designed to enhance the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, has officially activated its private mainnet as of Wednesday. Supported by Polygon Labs and cryptocurrency market maker GSR, Katana aims to tackle a significant issue in DeFi: the fragmentation of digital assets across numerous apps and ecosystems. Polygon (MATIC) revealed in a blog post that Katana’s primary aim is to consolidate liquidity and generate yields across various protocols, ultimately creating a self-sustaining DeFi engine for long-term growth. Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, stated, “Katana was developed to address the fragmentation challenge in DeFi.” # Boosting Blockchain Interoperability and Solving Liquidity Issues Developed on Polygon’s blockchain platform AggLayer, Katana is designed to enhance cross-chain interoperability. Boiron emphasized this approach's significance, saying, “We want AggLayer to be a deep liquidity hub accessible to all chains. Currently, no chain offers the stable and profound liquidity essential for the blockchain ecosystem.” Katana aims to comprehensively improve areas such as DeFi lending, trading, and yield-generation strategies. The project also plans to integrate with prominent decentralized applications like Sushi, a decentralized exchange, and Morpho, a decentralized lending protocol. Polygon Labs played a crucial role in Katana's development and design, while GSR provided advisory support for user experience and initial liquidity provisioning. Jakob Palmstierna, Managing Director at GSR, remarked, “We are providing on-chain liquidity early on to help users access the platform from day one.” # Exclusive Early Access and Rewards for Private Mainnet Users Currently, Katana’s private testing phase is available to a select group of users. Participants who pre-deposit assets like Ethereum (ETH), USDC, USDT, and WBTC into the network will be eligible to receive the platform’s governance and utility token, KAT. Early adopters will also benefit from additional perks through a loot box-style rewards system. Katana’s public mainnet launch is scheduled for the end of June, marking a significant milestone toward resolving liquidity challenges and enhancing interoperability within the DeFi sector.