Monad
A parallel-execution EVM Layer 1 targeting 10,000 TPS while remaining bytecode-compatible with Ethereum.
Monad is a Proof-of-Stake Layer 1 built by former Jump Trading engineers, live on mainnet since November 24, 2025. It uses MonadBFT consensus, optimistic parallel execution, superscalar pipelining, and a custom MonadDB state store to hit ~10,000 TPS while running standard EVM bytecode unmodified. Its post-launch DeFi ecosystem grew fast, with Aave launching on Monad in July 2026 and TVL rising past $450M.
- Mainnet live since November 24, 2025; TVL passed $450M by July 2026 (up ~79% in the prior 30 days per CMC/DeFiLlama data).
- Fully EVM-compatible at the bytecode level — Uniswap, Morpho, Curve deployed within days of mainnet without code changes.
- MonadBFT PoS consensus targeting sub-second finality; block times reported around 300ms in July 2026 releases — verify against official Monad release notes for the current figure.
- Aave V3 launched on Monad on July 2, 2026, one of the highest-profile integrations on any new L1 in 2026.
- Native token MON was distributed via a $269M Coinbase ICO alongside a 76,000-wallet airdrop at mainnet launch.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'parallel EVM' actually mean?
Monad executes independent transactions simultaneously rather than serially, using optimistic concurrency control: transactions are speculatively run in parallel and re-executed if their state accesses conflict. Because it remains bytecode-compatible with the EVM, Solidity contracts written for Ethereum run unmodified but can benefit from the parallel scheduler when their state accesses don't overlap.
How does Monad compare to Solana?
Both target high throughput and sub-second finality. Solana is non-EVM and older, with a much larger ecosystem and battle-tested operations. Monad is EVM-compatible, which lets Ethereum protocols port instantly, but is younger and has less TVL and validator diversity. If you already work in the EVM tooling stack, Monad is the lower-friction option; if you want the deepest liquidity, Solana is bigger.
How safe is Monad for large deposits?
Monad is new — under a year since mainnet at time of writing — and its validator set and operational track record are still building. Ecosystem projects like Aave and Morpho are established, but the chain itself carries young-L1 risk. Size accordingly and monitor validator distribution and any parallel-execution edge cases as they surface.