Shardeum Launches Mainnet with Record Number of Validator Nodes
Shardeum has officially unveiled its mainnet after a successful testnet phase that saw over 1.4 million participants from around the world. This achievement set a new record for the number of Layer 1 testnet validator nodes.
The EVM-based autoscaling network launched its mainnet after a brief delay, following a testnet phase that saw an impressive 171,000 physically-run public validator nodes, the highest ever recorded on a Layer 1 testnet.
The main goal of Shardeum’s mainnet is to tackle the “scalability trilemma,” allowing users and developers to maintain decentralization, scalability, and affordability without compromising any of these aspects. The network achieves this by breaking down its workload into smaller parts called “shards,” enabling transaction validation to run in parallel. Initially, the mainnet will start with 256 validators forming two shards.
One of the key features of the mainnet is its ability to run nodes in under a minute with a single-command install, without the need for heavy hardware or a large stake. Additionally, Shardeum keeps gas fees low, with costs as minimal as $0.01 even during periods of high network congestion.
Several industry players have pledged their support for the mainnet, including PrimeVault, Mintair, and Tokensoft. The network is launching with over 60 open repositories and an innovative validator accountability system that automatically rotates underperforming nodes.
Shardeum’s native token, SHM, will also be launched alongside the mainnet, with a total supply of 249 million tokens. The token distribution includes allocations for the community token sale, team, foundation, and ecosystem. SHM will be used for governance, staking, and gas payments within the protocol.
The launch of Shardeum’s mainnet marks a significant milestone in blockchain technology, demonstrating that it is possible to solve the scalability trilemma without compromise. Chief Technology Officer Srini Parthasarathy believes that Shardeum will pave the way for the next generation of Web3 applications.
Looking ahead, developers are expected to begin testing smart contract functionality in the latter half of 2025, with stable dApp deployments to follow soon after.
Originally scheduled for April 15, Shardeum’s mainnet launch was postponed to May due to market conditions. The token will be listed on major exchanges such as BitMart, CoinW, and MEXC, while integration with EVM-supporting wallets like MetaMask and Trust Wallet is also planned.