Katana Docs | DeFi, KAT, Vault Bridge & Developer Guides
Comprehensive Katana documentation covering DeFi markets, KAT, Vault Bridge, staking, lending, perps, security, network configuration and developer workflows.
Katana in one view
Katana is an Ethereum Layer 2 designed around DeFi rather than a general-purpose application marketplace. Its core idea is to keep capital productive: assets can move through the network, remain useful across applications, and support a smaller set of deeper financial markets for swaps, lending, borrowing, yield and perpetual futures.
The documentation is organized around three questions: how Katana works economically, how users interact with its financial products, and how developers integrate the network safely.
Core economic design
Katana combines Vault Bridge, Chain-Owned Liquidity and core DeFi applications. Vault Bridge can keep underlying bridged capital deployed in curated strategies while users receive corresponding assets on Katana. Chain-Owned Liquidity uses network economics to build liquidity that can remain deployed across important markets. Core apps concentrate activity in spot trading, lending and perpetual futures.
- Vault Bridge: productive bridging and vbToken infrastructure.
- Chain-Owned Liquidity: network-owned positions supporting market depth.
- Sushi: spot swaps and liquidity pools.
- Morpho: direct lending markets and curated vaults.
- Katana Perps: perpetual futures with onchain custody and settlement.
KAT and incentive coordination
KAT is the network token. Staking creates voting participation through vKAT or an automated, liquid route through avKAT. Gauge voting and reward distribution are designed to coordinate incentives across eligible Katana markets rather than treating staking as an isolated yield product.
Network and developer stack
Katana uses the Agglayer CDK-opgeth stack, a Geth-based OP Stack style execution environment connected to Ethereum through zero-knowledge proof infrastructure and Agglayer interoperability. Developers work with familiar EVM tooling while accounting for Katana-specific bridges, productive asset wrappers, DeFi primitives and network parameters.
How to use these docs
Start with Core Concepts if you want to understand the economic model. Use the KAT Token section for staking and voting. Use Technical Reference for network details and contracts. Start Building and How To contain practical workflows for wallets, DeFi, indexing, bridging, LP positions and application development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Katana?
Katana is an Ethereum Layer 2 focused on DeFi markets, productive liquidity and shared financial infrastructure.
What can users do on Katana?
Users can swap, provide liquidity, lend, borrow, use vaults, trade perpetual futures, bridge assets and participate in KAT staking.
What is Vault Bridge?
Vault Bridge is Katana infrastructure that can keep underlying bridged assets productive while corresponding assets remain usable on Katana.
Where should developers start?
Developers should begin with Network Information and Set Up Your Environment, then use the technical and how-to guides relevant to their application.