Igra Network Launches Public Mainnet as Decentralized EVM Layer on Kaspa’s Proof-of-Work BlockDAG
Zug, Switzerland, March 19th, 2026, Chainwire
Following six months of testing with zero state divergence, Igra Network opens public access to a 3,000+ TPS smart contract environment secured by proof-of-work consensus. Fifteen protocols are deploying at launch alongside cross-chain connectivity through Hyperlane. A security audit by Sigma Prime completed with no unresolved issues.
Igra Labs has opened public access to Igra Network, a decentralized EVM-compatible execution layer built on Kaspa’s proof-of-work BlockDAG. The mainnet launch follows a testnet that processed over 730,000 transactions across 21 million blocks with zero state divergence.
Kaspa is a proof-of-work blockchain with a market capitalization nearing $1 billion and more than 500,000 active addresses. The ecosystem generated $486 million in trading volume on the day KRC-20 token protocol functionality launched, demonstrating significant latent demand for on-chain activity. Despite that demand, the ecosystem has operated with less than $1 million in DeFi total value locked due to the absence of a decentralized and programmable smart contract layer. Igra Network is built to close that gap. By inheriting Kaspa’s proof-of-work security while delivering full Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility, the network gives the ecosystem’s existing user base and a global developer community of over 100,000 Solidity engineers a shared execution environment for the first time.
Igra operates as a based rollup, a design in which transaction ordering is delegated entirely to the base layer rather than handled by a centralized sequencer. Kaspa miners sequence Igra transactions without the ability to read their contents, a structural property that provides resistance to MEV extraction, front-running, and transaction censorship at the protocol level rather than as an application-layer patch.
The network delivers over 3,000 transactions per second with sub-second inclusion latency, powered by Kaspa’s 10-block-per-second BlockDAG architecture and parallel transaction sequencing. Unlike linear blockchains where transactions queue in a single ordering chain, the BlockDAG processes multiple blocks simultaneously, providing the throughput required for DeFi workloads at scale. A security audit by Sigma Prime, the firm behind Ethereum’s Lighthouse consensus client, completed clean with no unresolved issues.
Fifteen protocols have committed to deploy at launch spanning DeFi, infrastructure, wallets, and stablecoins. Launch partners include Kaskad (Aave V3-style lending and borrowing), ZealousSwap (Uniswap v2 decentralized exchange), Zealous Auctions Protocol (Continuous Clearing Auctions token launch), Hyperlane (cross-chain messaging and USDC.e bridging), Kasperia and Kasware (wallets), KAT Bridge (KRC-20 Token and KRC-721 NFT bridging), Dagscan (block explorer), and Kaspa.com (DEX and launchpad). Ecosystem partners collectively manage over $5 million in total value locked across the Kaspa ecosystem. Kaspa’s native token wraps 1:1 to iKAS on Igra through a trust-minimized bridge backed by locked KAS on L1, serving as the network’s gas token.
Igra Labs plans to introduce a second-generation execution engine incorporating Block-STM parallel processing in the second half of 2026, alongside agent-native infrastructure for machine-to-machine payment, identity, and orchestration, positioning the network for the emerging autonomous agent economy.
“There is over a billion dollars in ecosystem value on Kaspa and $486 million in volume on a single day when KRC-20 launched, yet almost no sufficiently decentralized programmable infrastructure exists to capture it,” said Pavel Emdin, CEO of Igra Labs. “That gap is now closed. Igra delivers full EVM programmability without compromising on the security properties that brought people to proof-of-work.”
“Fifteen teams committed before mainnet went live. Hyperlane gives us cross-chain connectivity and stablecoin access from day one, and Kaskad brings institutional-grade lending to proof-of-work for the first time,” said Ashton Wood, Head of Ecosystem and Business Development at Igra Labs. “The infrastructure is live and the ecosystem is ready.”
The Igra Labs core team includes former DAGLabs engineers who contributed to shipping Kaspa’s original mainnet, alongside Panther Protocol alumni and EVM client contributors. The project is governed by a Swiss association, with a functioning DAO governance structure following a successful token generation event.
A public token auction for the IGRA governance and security token is scheduled for late March 2026 through ZAP (Zealous Auctions Protocol), an on-chain continuous clearing auction on Igra Network (https://igralabs.com/public-auction/overview). The same mechanism powered Aztec’s $59 million sale—on-chain price discovery, no lockup or vesting, tokens fully liquid on claim. Participation is open to anyone with iKAS on the network ($0.006 floor; three-point-five percent of supply). Details at igralabs.com. Secondary on-chain trading through ZealousSwap DEX.
About Igra Network
Igra Network is a based rollup on Kaspa’s proof-of-work BlockDAG delivering full EVM compatibility, 3,000+ TPS, sub-second finality, and architectural MEV resistance without a centralized sequencer. Learn more at igralabs.com (https://igralabs.com).