Astar Network is preparing a new Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible scaling solution to boost institutional entry into the blockchain ecosystem.
Earlier this week, Astar Network announced the launch of zKatana, the Astar zkEVM testnet, which is a versatile scalability-focused solution that will allow you to boosting institutional adoption of blockchain technology, mainly by gaming and entertainment companies in Japan and around the world.
Astar zkEVM will serve as a gateway for gaming and other industries to tap into the potential of blockchain and the Japanese market.
Through this new solution, powered by zero-knowledge (ZK) technology, Astar Network will offer a high level of scalability for efficient transaction processing, as well as compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the EVM, allowing the network to inherit Ethereum’s security mechanisms, be interoperable with this blockchain ecosystem, and ensure greater speed and accessibility with lower transaction fees.
On the social network X (formerly Twitter), Astar Network highlighted that the launch of the Astar zkEVM testnet represents a milestone in its path to building a more holistic technology stack that blockchain developers can use to harness the potential of Web3.
Astar Network is an interoperable blockchain designed for the third generation of the Internet, which is based on the framework Polkadot's Substrate. Today, this blockchain has become the main smart contract ecosystem of the Polkadot network.
zKatana, a powerful testnet inspired by Japan
In line with their Japanese roots, the developers of Astar Network They have named the new testnet zKatana, named after the unique curved-edge sabers used by legendary samurai warriors.
The Katana is considered one of the most powerful weapons of all time, and accordingly, Astar zkEVM's testnet, zKatana, will become the premier solution for building cutting-edge zero-knowledge (ZK) rollups, indicated the developers.
zKatana is based on the Polygon CDK developer kit, which offers a set of innovative tools for creating new ZK-powered blockchains.
As described by the developers, the choice of Polygon CDK to build zKatana was a natural fit, as the development toolkit positions itself as “the most technically advanced and compatible ZK rollups solution” in the blockchain ecosystem.
Rarible mints first NFT on Astar zkEVM testnet
Ethereum non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Rarible has become the first to mint a non-fungible token using Astar’s zkEVM testnet, zKatana.
Called “Midnight in Tokyo,” this NFT commemorates both the birth and arrival of zKatana and Rarible’s trip to Japan, indicated Astar Network developers on the social network.
At the time of writing, the ASTR token is up 8,5% today, rising above $0,052 per unit. The daily trading volume for this token has also increased significantly, surpassing $62 million in the past few hours, which is an increase of more than 200% on Tuesday.
Continue reading: What are the 13 projects being built on Polygon CDK?
