Shardeum is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain designed for real-world asset tokenization, decentralized finance, and high-throughput web applications. The network uses a modular architecture separating execution, state management, and consensus, delivering deterministic transaction finality with block times of 2 to 3 seconds.
Team and background
Founded in 2022, Shardeum is based in Zug, Switzerland, and operates with a team of 51 to 200 contributors. The project was co-founded by Nischal Shetty, who serves as President and is also the chief executive officer of Indian crypto exchange WazirX, alongside co-founder Omar Syed. Shardeum raised $23.6M in funding from venture investors to build out its infrastructure and ecosystem.
Architecture and core mechanics
Shardeum provides an EVM runtime that allows developers to deploy standard Solidity smart contracts using tools like Hardhat, Foundry, and Remix. End users interact with the network through EVM-compatible wallets such as MetaMask. State transitions and validation rely on a Proof-of-Stake mechanism where node operators stake the native SHM utility token to participate in consensus, and holders can delegate their SHM to active validators to earn staking rewards.
Fees and network utility
Transactions and smart contract executions require gas paid in SHM. The platform targets low, predictable fee structures to support microtransactions and consumer apps like social prediction tools and token launchpads.
Track record and milestones
Shardeum rolled out its EVM testnet in October 2025, followed by the deployment of its EVM mainnet in November 2025 alongside a 1:240 SHM redenomination token split. SHM trading subsequently expanded across exchanges including KuCoin, MEXC, and WazirX. In October 2026, the network enacted Governance Proposal 1 at block height 7,927,860, implementing the v1.1.0 upgrade that moved its underlying engine to Cosmos EVM v0.6.3.
Risks and operational trade-offs
The network remains in an early stage of operational maturity. In October 2026, the v1.1.0 protocol transition required a planned 25-minute network halt before operations resumed. As of May 2026, the active validator set stood at 24 nodes, presenting decentralization risks typical of early-stage proof-of-stake deployments. Projects and secondary asset transfers depend on ecosystem liquidity, while SHM token emission schedules expose delegators to inflation dynamics.