Makina will join the Ink ecosystem as a new, major protocol deployment, bringing with it a powerful framework for capital coordination that spans chains, protocols, and asset classes, all while staying true to DeFi’s foundational values.

At its core, Makina transforms cross-chain asset management with a sophisticated  programmable infrastructure capable of powering all types of strategies. Instead of static vaults or opaque “set-and-forget” strategies, Makina offers a fully composable stack of Machines (vaults), Calibers (execution engines), and Operators (strategists) - all governed by onchain-enforced mandates and risk policies.

Makina’s deployment on Ink unlocks a new level of native interoperability, cross-chain liquidity, and execution performance, with onchain accounting routed through Ink’s low-latency, developer-friendly environment.

“Makina is exactly the kind of protocol Ink is built to support,” said Andrew Koller, founder of Ink. “It’s programmable. It’s modular. It’s trust-minimized. And it’s obsessed with user ownership and capital sovereignty. That’s what DeFi should be about – and that’s what we want to support.”

Makina’s architecture is designed to be futureproof with execution logic handled via MakinaVM, a novel execution model that allows sophisticated strategies to seamlessly operate across chains, assets, and protocols with auditable constraints. By separating execution from governance, and enforcing risk policies via an optimistic challenge system with slashing conditions, Makina ensures Operators remain accountable without slowing down innovation.

“We chose Ink because it doesn’t compromise on speed, on UX, or on values,” said Jenna Zenk, Director at Makina. “DeFi is evolving fast, and Ink gives us the ability to ship lasting infrastructure for onchain asset management while staying true to the principles that matter to us: permissionless access, verifiable execution, and builder-first culture. We’re excited to deploy on a chain that shares our vision for programmable finance, and the ambition to take it mainstream.”

Makina’s Machines will soon be live on Ink mainnet, with initial strategies by a reputable Operator rolling out in the coming months. DeFi protocols interested in integrating with Makina’s strategies or Operators interested in deploying their own Machines are encouraged to get involved via the project’s community channels, or get in touch directly with the Makina team.

About Makina

Makina is a next-generation DeFi Execution Engine that brings institutional-grade risk-adjusted strategies onchain. Its non-custodial and trust-minimized architecture enables access to secure, high-yield opportunities across EVM chains. Makina redefines capital allocation in DeFi and onchain asset management with real-time yield optimization, continuous revenue accrual, onchain accounting, built-in risk management, and infinite composability. https://makina.finance/ 

About Ink

Ink is a high-performance Ethereum Layer 2 built on the OP Stack and launched by Kraken. Designed for speed, composability, and user sovereignty, Ink is focused on bringing the next billion users into onchain finance - without sacrificing decentralization, privacy, or control.  https://inkonchain.com/ 

Press Contact: 

press@inkonchain.com

Starting today, developers can begin building on Ink’s testnet. We decided to release testnet earlier than publicly stated because, why not? Ink is moving at an accelerated startup pace, committed to building openly and transparently with the world, and—most importantly—to shipping fast.

An emphasis on execution means Ink has a tight feedback loop with users, builders, and partners to deliver an amazing user experience and stronger security guardrails to protect both users and partners. For builders, Ink is committed to providing the best full stack tooling they need to bring their products to life.

Ink also brings nearly a decade and a half of defense-grade security practices learned from Kraken and will level up onchain security. After all, Ink is what cephalopods release as a defense mechanism. And Ink will create an onchain experience that matches this. We want to enable developers to onboard users to the onchain world, tapping into the magic behind Kraken’s platform. This means building bridges between the offchain and onchain worlds, while taking crypto UX to new levels.

We’re an L2 that values transparency and authenticity over proper etiquette. So let’s be real.

Ink sees a future world where the onchain financial system TRUMPs the traditional financial system. We want to enable a seamless experience from the centralized world to the decentralized world, so our users have full freedom to participate in the onchain financial system. 

Like all crypto exchanges, Kraken had been approached over the years to launch some kind of blockchain. The time never felt right and we’ve always loved doing what we do best; creating a secure trading platform with killer UX and support. However, we believe the time is now right for a multitude of reasons:

• Ethereum and its scaling roadmap are clearer than ever and has proven to work. We’re confident that building within the Ethereum ecosystem we will be able to harness chain and account abstraction that won’t be met with any bottlenecks. 

• The EVM developer ecosystem is more familiar to Kraken clients; Kraken was the first large exchange to list Ethereum when the network launched in 2015.

• The EVM is experiencing a Cambrian explosion of account abstraction tools and “web2-like” experiences that allows us to tell the crypto OG story at a higher level to the next billion users.

• The Superchain allows us to plant our flag among existing onchain magic.

• Crypto users and the next billions of them want access to more financial opportunities: the Ink team will help usher in a new wave of applications to provide this to everyone. EVM is the logical place to start as chain abstraction becomes more commonplace

• We want this chain to have the efficiency of a centralized exchange - one second blocktimes with a near target of sub-second is a goal

• Decentralizing the sequencer will follow the typical L2 stages starting with enabling fault proofs ASAP

• We will be hosting a myriad of hackathons and developer houses to bring the Ink vision to life - one balance, one dream

• Talk to us. We’re cypherpunk OGs and want to hear from you and create tight feedback loops of development. Let’s bring the entire finance world onchain together

We can’t wait to flip the switch for mainnet and let the ink flow. Ink the future.