Kraken has announced the launch of its own Ethereum layer-2 network called Ink, which is set to go live on the mainnet in early 2025. Utilizing Optimism’s OP Stack, Ink will be part of the Optimism Superchain, which encompasses a constellation of blockchains. The OP Stack is currently the most widely used rollup stack, hosting approximately 43 live chains. Ink is designed as a DeFi-centric chain with expected block times of one second at launch, and there are plans for further reductions to sub-second block times. A testnet for Ink will go live in 17 days, accompanied by AMAs, live demonstrations, and contests geared toward developers. Kraken, established in 2011, is recognized as one of the oldest crypto exchanges, holding the sixth largest position in the market with around 10 million users worldwide. The launch of Ink comes amid a competitive landscape where exchanges like Binance and Coinbase have also developed their own layer-2 solutions.

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