Caldera ($ERA) can be understood as a combination of a highway and a universal toolbox in the Rollup world. Initially, it was just a convenient engine for developers to set up Rollup with one click, allowing easy deployment whether you prefer OP Stack, Arbitrum Nitro, or ZK Stack. This tool is like equipping each chain with a customizable engine, enabling them to upgrade freely and connect to various ordering and data availability solutions.
Then, Caldera launched Metalayer, which is its magical core. Metalayer allows cross-chain operations to be less cumbersome; users simply need to say, 'I want to move assets from Chain A to Chain B,' and the remaining routing, bridging, and liquidity scheduling are all handled automatically. It also supports cross-chain messaging and shared liquidity, and in the future, it may even serve as a unified gas, allowing the chains in the ecosystem to seamlessly fit together like a puzzle.
By mid-2025, Caldera has supported over 50 Rollups, including high-throughput projects like Manta Pacific, ApeChain, B3, Kinto, etc., processing a total of 753 million transactions, locking up 377 million dollars, and covering 27 million unique addresses. Games, DeFi, and real-world assets are the most active.
From a project perspective, Caldera's charm lies in lowering the deployment threshold for Rollups, providing cross-chain interoperability solutions, and empowering the actual use value of token $ERA . The key is when Metalayer becomes truly active and whether the volume of cross-chain calls can rise. If successful, it has the potential to connect each Rollup into an interconnected network, making $ERA a natural fuel for cross-chain operations.
