Duniya Khan

Key Takeaways

Enso is a decentralized Layer 1 network designed to simplify how developers interact with smart contracts across multiple blockchains and rollups.

The protocol uses Tendermint consensus and acts as a coordination layer that compiles executable bytecode for smart contracts across different chains.

The network features four participant roles: Consumers, Action Providers, Graphers, and Validators. 

Enso introduces a shared network state where smart contract abstractions, known as Actions, are contributed by developers and combined by Graphers to produce executable solutions.

What Is Enso?

Enso is a decentralized Layer 1 network designed to simplify how developers interact with smart contracts across multiple blockchains, rollups, and appchains. The protocol acts as a coordination layer that connects smart contracts from many chains, allowing developers to build across ecosystems without dealing with complex technical details. 

Enso introduces two main ideas called Intents and Actions. Intents let developers or users describe what they want to do, such as swapping tokens or moving assets between chains, without needing to define every technical step. 

Actions represent these smaller operations, like sending tokens or staking assets. The network combines and executes the right Actions to complete the Intent efficiently. By transforming complex blockchain interactions into intent-based requests, Enso aims to make decentralized applications more composable and user-friendly.

How Enso Works

The shared network state 

Enso’s shared network state acts as a global database that stores information about smart contracts from different blockchains and rollups. It allows developers to work from a single, consistent source of data rather than managing separate integrations for each blockchain.

Each smart contract is recorded as an entity with all the details needed to generate executable bytecode, which is the low-level code blockchains use to process and run smart contract instructions. Each entity is also linked to its corresponding chain ID, so the network knows where it is deployed.

For example, Aave’s lending protocol on Ethereum is stored as an entity with a “Lend” action type. When a developer wants to interact with a lending protocol across multiple chains, Enso can automatically gather the necessary components from the shared state to generate bytecode for that specific request. This approach helps simplify multi-chain development by turning complex smart contract interactions into standardized and reusable components.

Network Participants 

Enso’s design is built around four key participants, each playing a distinct role in processing requests and keeping the network running smoothly:

Consumers

The end users or developers who submit intents to the Enso network. They describe the outcome they want to achieve, such as swapping tokens or performing a DeFi action, and let the network handle how it’s executed.

Action Providers

Developers who contribute reusable smart contract modules called Actions. These Actions describe how specific blockchain operations work and can be combined to fulfill different user intents.

Graphers

Specialized participants who search through Enso’s shared network state to link relevant Actions together. They build optimized, executable bytecode that delivers the best possible result for a user’s intent.

Validators

Network nodes are responsible for verifying proposed solutions. They simulate and test the generated bytecode across blockchains to ensure it runs correctly, selecting the most efficient and secure execution solution.

The Enso workflow usually consists of the following steps:

Intent creation: A user submits an intent to the network specifying a desired outcome, such as a token swap or lending action, without detailing how it should be executed.

Action contribution: Action Providers publish reusable smart contract abstractions, known as Actions, that define how specific operations, such as swaps or deposits, can be performed.

Pathfinding: Graphers analyze the shared network state to combine relevant Actions and generate executable bytecode that fulfills the intent in the most efficient way.

Validation: Validators simulate the proposed bytecode on forked chain states to ensure it executes correctly and securely, confirming valid state transitions.

Solution selection: The network compares all valid solutions, selecting the one with the best output and lowest cost while discarding the rest.

Execution: The winning solution is returned to the user for direct execution. Execution fees embedded in the bytecode are distributed through an auction system, rewarding Graphers, Validators, and Action Providers in ENSO tokens.

Use Cases

Enso can be integrated across DeFi applications that require liquidity management, asset movement, and automation, including:

DEXs and aggregators: Enso can reduce friction in liquidity provision with simple zaps, allowing users to move positions more easily and optimize liquidity. 

Wallets: Wallet platforms can use Enso to offer smooth token swaps, cross-chain transfers, and direct access to DeFi earning opportunities, keeping user assets productive.

Stablecoins: Projects can mint tokens from a single origin and bridge them securely across chains. This allows the launch of yield-bearing stablecoins on multiple networks without separate contract deployments.

Vault deposits: Platforms can accept any token for deposits and simplify vault migrations to keep capital within their ecosystem and enhance user participation.

Market makers: Enso can automate DEX market making, arbitrage, and liquidity pool rebalancing. Its automated responses to market conditions can help improve capital efficiency.

The ENSO Token

ENSO is the native token of the Enso protocol, with a maximum supply of 127,339,703 tokens. It follows a controlled inflation schedule that gradually decreases over time and ceases entirely after ten years. It’s used within the ecosystem for many purposes, including:

Governance: ENSO holders can stake their tokens to vote on protocol upgrades and smart contract improvements. Voting does not provide staking rewards, and proposals must reach a quorum before they can be implemented.

Security: ENSO can be staked to support network validation and maintain system integrity. Validators use a Proof of Stake (PoS) mechanism and simulation tools to verify data accuracy. 

Delegation: ENSO holders can delegate their staked tokens to Validators and earn a portion of the validation revenue. This allows users to support the network’s operations and share in its rewards without running validation software themselves.

Enso (ENSO) on Binance HODLer Airdrops

On October 14, 2025, Binance announced ENSO as the 52nd project on the Binance HODLer Airdrops. Users who subscribed their BNB to Simple Earn and/or On-Chain Yields products from October 7 to 9 were eligible to receive ENSO airdrops. A total of 1.75 million ENSO tokens were allocated to the program, accounting for 1.75% of the genesis total token supply.

ENSO was listed with the Seed Tag applied, allowing for trading against the USDT, USDC, BNB, FDUSD, and TRY pairs.

Closing Thoughts

Enso is designed to make it easier for developers to build and connect applications across different blockchains. By combining intent-based requests with a shared network state, the protocol allows users to describe the outcome they want while the network handles how to achieve it. The protocol brings together Action Providers, Graphers, and Validators to generate and verify bytecode on-chain, reducing manual integrations and improving cross-network interaction between smart contracts.

Further Reading

Blockchain Layer 1 vs. Layer 2 Scaling Solutions

What Are Appchains (Application-Specific Blockchains)?

What Is Cross-Chain Interoperability?

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