Startups > Monad Labs

Monad Labs

Monad is a parallel-execution Layer 1 blockchain built for Ethereum developers.
Series A $431.5M total Founded 2022 New York, New York 36 employees
Monad Labs built a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain that is fully Ethereum-compatible while delivering 10,000 TPS, 0.8s finality, and 0.4s block times through parallel transaction execution. Unlike competitors that fork Ethereum or build separate ecosystems, Monad scales the EVM itself using parallel execution across CPU cores while maintaining bytecode compatibility—so developers can deploy existing Ethereum apps without modifications. The network launched mainnet in November 2025 and has attracted $350M+ TVL with integrations from Circle, Chainlink, Coinbase, and MetaMask.
Problem solved
Ethereum and most EVM chains process transactions sequentially, creating congestion, high gas fees, and slow finality that limit DeFi throughput and user experience.
Target customer
Web3 developers and protocols seeking Ethereum compatibility with high throughput; cryptocurrency exchanges and institutional platforms building on EVM; DeFi protocols requiring low latency and high transaction capacity.
Website LinkedIn Crunchbase Twitter / X
Founders
K
Keone Hon
CEO & Co-Founder
Spent 8 years at Jump Trading leading high-frequency trading teams, then led blockchain research at Jump Crypto; MIT graduate with B.S. in Computer Science and Math, M.Eng in Computer Science, and M.Finance.
J
James Hunsaker
CTO & Co-Founder
Former Jump Trading executive working alongside Keone Hon; now heads Category Labs and serves as principal research lead.
E
Eunice Giarta
Co-Founder
Former MIT Media Lab researcher with product leadership roles at Shutterstock and Broadway Technology.
Funding history
Pre-seed $9M May 2022 Led by Unknown · Unknown
Seed $10M December 2022 Led by Unknown · Unknown
Seed $19M February 2023 Led by Dragonfly Capital · Unknown
Series A $225M April 2024 Led by Paradigm · Electric Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Castle Island Ventures, GSR Ventures, Greenoaks, OKX, and angels including Naval Ravikant, punk6529, Rune Christensen, Eric Wall, and others
Public Sale $168.5M 2024-2025 Led by Coinbase · Public participants via MON token sale
Total raised: $431.5M
Industries
Smart Contracts Blockchain
Pricing
Not publicly available for development/infrastructure services. Users pay gas fees in MON tokens; validators stake MON to secure the network; token holders participate in governance.
Notable customers
300+ projects in ecosystem, MetaMask (native support), Aave (integration pending), Circle, Chainlink, Orderly Network, Coinbase (cbBTC integration via CCIP), WalletConnect
Integrations
MetaMask, Chainlink (CCIP), Circle, Orderly Network, WalletConnect Pay, Coinbase (cbBTC), Aave
Tech stack
jQuery (JavaScript libraries) core-js (JavaScript libraries) Open Graph Google Analytics (Analytics) Google Font API (Font scripts) Google Hosted Libraries (CDN) Webflow (Page builders)
Website
monadlabs.xyz/
Competitors
Solana
Solana uses a single-threaded validator model and is not EVM-compatible; Monad maintains full Ethereum bytecode compatibility while achieving comparable throughput.
Aptos
Aptos uses Move language and is not EVM-compatible; Monad lets developers deploy existing Ethereum contracts without modification.
NEAR
NEAR uses a different execution model and ecosystem; Monad is purpose-built as an EVM Layer 1 with parallel execution.
Why this matters: Monad solved a critical blockchain trilemma by building the only EVM-compatible Layer 1 with true parallel execution, enabling Ethereum developers to access Solana-tier throughput without ecosystem fragmentation. Post-mainnet launch in November 2025, it has attracted $350M TVL and major partnerships (Coinbase, Circle, Chainlink), validating demand for high-performance EVM infrastructure.
Best for: DeFi protocols, exchanges, and Ethereum developers needing high throughput and low fees without rewriting smart contracts or fragmenting liquidity.
Use cases
High-frequency DeFi trading
Trading bots and MEV searchers require sub-second finality and high transaction throughput. Monad's 0.8s finality and 10,000 TPS enable complex arbitrage and liquidation strategies impossible on Ethereum.
Stablecoin payment rails
Merchants using WalletConnect Pay can accept instant, low-fee stablecoin payments without waiting for Ethereum confirmation times. Circle integration ensures liquidity and regulatory compliance.
Cross-chain liquidity aggregation
Protocols like those using Chainlink CCIP can efficiently move Bitcoin-backed assets (cbBTC) onto Monad and use high throughput to serve derivative and lending markets without congestion.
Ethereum dApp migration
Existing Uniswap, Aave, and Lido-like protocols can deploy on Monad using the same bytecode, instantly accessing a faster, cheaper network without smart contract audits or liquidity fragmentation.
Alternatives
Arbitrum Arbitrum is an Optimistic Rollup (Layer 2) that trades some latency for lower settlement costs; Monad is a Layer 1 with faster finality but different security model.
Optimism Optimism is an Optimistic Rollup focused on lowering transaction costs; Monad prioritizes throughput and finality for performance-sensitive applications.
Polygon Polygon is a sidechain with different security guarantees; Monad is an independent Layer 1 optimized for parallel execution and EVM compatibility.
Solana Solana offers high throughput but requires rewriting contracts in Rust; Monad lets Ethereum developers deploy unchanged smart contracts.
FAQ
What does Monad Labs do? +
Monad Labs built a Layer 1 blockchain that executes Ethereum smart contracts in parallel, achieving 10,000 TPS and 0.8s finality while maintaining full bytecode compatibility. Developers can deploy existing Ethereum apps without modification, and users benefit from faster transactions and lower fees.
How much does Monad cost? +
Monad doesn't charge subscription fees. Users pay gas fees in MON tokens based on computational complexity. Validators stake MON to participate in consensus. Pricing is market-driven and transparent on-chain.
How does Monad differ from Ethereum and other Layer 1s? +
Monad is the only Layer 1 that scales Ethereum itself via parallel execution, rather than building a separate blockchain or Layer 2. It maintains full EVM bytecode compatibility while delivering Solana-like throughput. Competitors like Solana require contract rewrites, and Layer 2s like Arbitrum have higher latency.
Who uses Monad? +
DeFi protocols (Aave, Circle), exchanges (Coinbase, OKX), high-frequency traders, payment platforms (WalletConnect Pay), and 300+ ecosystem projects. Developers migrating from Ethereum benefit from drop-in compatibility.
What makes Monad notable? +
Monad is the first production EVM Layer 1 to combine parallel execution with Ethereum compatibility, eliminating the 'build your own ecosystem' vs. 'stay on Ethereum for liquidity' tradeoff. With $431.5M raised and $350M+ TVL post-mainnet launch, it represents a fundamental shift in how blockchains can scale.
Tags
blockchain layer1 EVM smart contracts parallel execution DeFi cryptocurrency Ethereum throughput Web3