ChainSafe Systems
ChainSafe Systems, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Toronto, builds open-source blockchain protocol clients (Lodestar for Ethereum, Forest for Filecoin, Gossamer for Polkadot) and provides enterprise co-development, staking services, and AI-powered developer tools to Web3 protocol teams, gaming studios, and enterprise blockchain organizations across 33 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ChainSafe Systems does
ChainSafe Systems is a Toronto-headquartered Web3 infrastructure company founded in 2017 that builds open-source, protocol-agnostic blockchain infrastructure and developer tools. The company's core products are production-grade protocol clients for major blockchain networks: Lodestar (an Ethereum consensus client implemented in JavaScript with Rust and Zig native libraries), Forest (a Rust implementation of the Filecoin protocol emphasizing minimal hardware requirements), and Gossamer (a modular Go framework for building Polkadot nodes). Supporting products include the web3.unity SDK for blockchain-enabled gaming, cross-chain bridging solutions, Canton Network ERC-20/CIP-56 middleware, and Daml Autopilot — an AI-powered Daml smart contract development assistant with an MCP server, 3,667+ verified canonical patterns, and CI automation. The underlying technology stack spans Rust, Go, JavaScript, and Zig, with research capabilities in zero-knowledge proofs, cross-chain protocols, and cryptography.
ChainSafe generates revenue through three primary streams: high-touch co-development and professional services for enterprise clients building custom blockchain solutions; managed infrastructure services including RPC endpoints, staking (managing over $890M USD in staked assets across Ethereum, Celestia, zkVerify, and Aztec), testnet operations, and node maintenance; and usage-based pricing for Daml Autopilot tools denominated in Canton Coins. The company employs a hybrid go-to-market combining open-source community-led growth (GitHub, Discord, X, YouTube, technical blog) with direct enterprise engagement through a "Build with us" contact channel. Primary customer segments include Web3 protocol teams (Ethereum Foundation, Filecoin Foundation, Polkadot, Optimism, Canton Network), Web3 gaming companies, enterprise blockchain organizations exploring tokenized real-world assets, and Daml developers.
ChainSafe Systems Inc. is incorporated in Ontario, Canada as a privately held company with a globally distributed team of 120+ employees across 33 countries, offices in Toronto (headquarters), Berlin, and Zagreb (the latter established via the 2021 acquisition of Node Factory). The company raised $18.75 million USD in an oversubscribed Series A in October 2022 led by Round13 Capital with participation from NGC Ventures, HashKey Capital, Sfermion, and Jsquare. Strategic co-development partnerships with major blockchain foundations (Ethereum Foundation, Filecoin Foundation, Protocol Labs) and ecosystem integrations (Optimism OP Stack, Canton Network Supervalidator status) position ChainSafe as a multi-protocol infrastructure provider serving both Web3-native and enterprise blockchain markets.
ChainSafe Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ChainSafe Systems
- Legal name
- ChainSafe Systems Inc.
- Website
- https://chainsafe.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ChainSafe Systems, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Toronto, builds open-source blockchain protocol clients (Lodestar for Ethereum, Forest for Filecoin, Gossamer for Polkadot) and provides enterprise co-development, staking services, and AI-powered developer tools to Web3 protocol teams, gaming studios, and enterprise blockchain organizations across 33 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ChainSafe Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Blockchain Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interoperability & Cross-Chain Messaging (bridges, IBC, messaging, routing) (FSAPAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cross-Chain Developer Tooling (messaging SDKs, relayers, interoperability APIs) (FSAPABAF), Interoperability & Cross-Chain Infrastructure (Bridges, Messaging, Atomic Swaps) (FSAGAMAI), Relayer/Validator Networks & Middleware (relayer marketplaces, keeper networks) (FSAPAKAG)
Keywords
Where ChainSafe Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
ChainSafe Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Co-Development Services: High-touch, low-friction custom development partnerships for blockchain projects. ChainSafe works side-by-side with teams from early design to long-term growth, providing strategic guidance and technical implementation for custom builds on multiple chains.
- Infrastructure Services: Blockchain infrastructure provisioning including RPC endpoints, staking services, and node operations for enterprise clients. Revenue generated from infrastructure management and operations.
- Protocol Client Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance and development of open-source protocol clients (Lodestar, Forest, Gossamer) with enterprise support agreements.
- Daml Autopilot Platform: Pay-per-use model for AI-powered Daml development tools. Server fees cover operational costs (third-party API calls, cloud infrastructure, blockchain network fees). Code Analysis Service is provided free of charge.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | daml_reason tool - semantic search only (no daml code) |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | daml_reason tool - code provided, no LLM enrichment |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | daml_reason tool - code provided with LLM synthesis active |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | daml_automate tool - automation without code |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Server Fees (infrastructure cost recovery) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
ChainSafe Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ChainSafe Systems builds and maintains open-source blockchain protocol clients (Lodestar for Ethereum, Forest for Filecoin, Gossamer for Polkadot) and provides enterprise Web3 infrastructure services including co-development, RPC endpoints, staking, and cross-chain middleware. The company also offers the Daml Autopilot AI assistant for Canton Network smart contract development and the web3.unity SDK for connecting Unity games to blockchain networks.
Product overview
ChainSafe Systems is a Web3 infrastructure provider offering a multi-product portfolio centered around open-source blockchain protocol implementations and infrastructure services. The core offerings include Lodestar (Ethereum Consensus Client in JavaScript), Forest (Filecoin protocol in Rust), and Gossamer (Polkadot framework in Go), which serve as the foundational protocol layer. Supporting these are infrastructure services (RPC endpoints, staking, observability) and specialized solutions including web3.unity SDK for gaming, cross-chain bridging, and Canton Network middleware. The newest addition is Daml Autopilot, an AI-powered smart contract development tool. The company serves a global market with over 120 employees across 33 countries and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lodestar: Ethereum Consensus Client - JavaScript ecosystem tools and libraries for Ethereum protocol development with Rust and Zig native libraries.
- Forest
- Gossamer
- Daml Autopilot
- web3.unity
Products and services
- Lodestar Lodestar is an Ethereum Consensus Client implemented in JavaScript with Rust and Zig native libraries that enables running Ethereum full nodes and validating on the Ethereum network. It is used by Ethereum protocol developers, node operators, and validators who want a TypeScript-friendly consensus client.
- Forest Forest is a Rust implementation of the Filecoin protocol offering fast performance with minimal hardware requirements, with capabilities to validate and access chain data, run RPC nodes, generate snapshots, and manage FIL via a built-in wallet. It is used by Filecoin node operators and developers needing a low-resource alternative to competing implementations.
- Gossamer Gossamer is a modular Go framework for building and running Polkadot nodes, supporting parachain infrastructure, node implementations, and new initiatives like JAM. It is used by Polkadot core developers and teams building parachains or custom networks.
- Infrastructure Services Infrastructure Services is a managed blockchain infrastructure offering including custom deployments, RPC endpoints, automation and observability, testnet operations, IPFS gateways, rollup creation, decentralized storage, and snapshot services. It is used by protocol teams and enterprises needing operational support for blockchain networks.
- Staking Services Staking Services provides enterprise-grade blockchain staking supporting Ethereum, Polkadot, Celestia, zkVerify, and Aztec, with over $890M USD in staked assets and a 99% RAVE Score on Ethereum staking. It is used by institutional and enterprise token holders seeking reliable staking infrastructure.
- web3.unity SDK web3.unity is a software development kit for connecting Unity games to blockchain technologies, enabling game developers to integrate Web3 functionality such as wallets, NFTs, and tokens into Unity-based games. It is used by Unity game studios building Web3-enabled games.
- ERC-20/CIP-56 Canton Network Middleware The ERC-20/CIP-56 Middleware is a production-ready bridge that enables native minting of Ethereum assets on the Canton Network, providing full Ethereum-style development experience without requiring Daml expertise or new wallets. It is used by enterprises building tokenized assets and financial applications on Canton that want EVM compatibility.
- Daml Autopilot Daml Autopilot is an AI-powered development assistant for Daml smart contracts on the Canton Network, featuring 3,667+ verified canonical patterns, LLM-based authorization model extraction, semantic similarity search, and CI automation via GitHub Actions. It is used by Daml developers building smart contracts for financial infrastructure.
- OP-Supervisor OP-Supervisor is a crosschain safety service for the OP Stack that validates messages and tracks block safety across the Superchain, manages rollup sync and verification, handles re-orgs, and ensures state consistency. It is used by OP Stack chain operators and developers building on Optimism's Superchain.
- Co-Development Services Co-Development Services provide high-touch custom development partnerships for blockchain projects, with ChainSafe working side-by-side with teams from early design to long-term growth, offering strategic guidance and technical implementation for custom builds on multiple chains. The service is targeted at enterprise clients and protocol teams needing expert engineering support.
Quantifiable outcome
- $890M USD in staked assets managed
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ChainSafe Systems
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ChainSafe Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability4 records
Feature9 records
ChainSafe Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Ethereum FoundationcoreChainSafe maintains Lodestar, an Ethereum Consensus Client. Active contributor to Ethereum protocol development.
- Filecoin FoundationcoreChainSafe maintains Forest, a Rust implementation of the Filecoin protocol. Key contributor to Filecoin ecosystem including FVM development.
- PolkadotcoreChainSafe maintains Gossamer, a Go implementation of the Polkadot Host. Core contributors to Polkadot ecosystem including parachain infrastructure.
- OptimismcoreChainSafe developed OP-Supervisor for Optimism as a crosschain safety service for the OP Stack.
- Canton NetworkcoreChainSafe is a Canton Network Supervalidator. Provides ERC-20/CIP-56 middleware and Daml Autopilot for Canton development.
- Protocol LabscoreParent organization of Filecoin. ChainSafe's Forest implementation is part of the Protocol Labs ecosystem.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ChainSafe Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ankr:
- ConsenSys (Infura): ConsenSys operates Infura, the dominant Ethereum RPC/node infrastructure provider, and contributes extensively to Ethereum protocol tooling. Directly comparable to ChainSafe as Ethereum-protocol infrastructure and RPC services overlap, though ConsenSys is a much larger incumbent spanning wallets (MetaMask), staking, and tooling.
- Blockdaemon: Blockdaemon is a major institutional blockchain infrastructure platform offering node deployment, staking, and APIs across 50+ protocols. A broader incumbent serving the same multi-chain infrastructure and staking segments as ChainSafe.
- Alchemy: Alchemy is a leading Web3 developer platform providing RPC endpoints, APIs, and enhanced node infrastructure primarily on Ethereum and major L2s. Comparable as a multi-chain infrastructure and developer tooling peer, though more focused on developer APIs than client maintenance.
Direct peers
- Parity Technologies: Parity builds Polkadot and Substrate core protocol implementations (originally Rust-based), directly comparable to ChainSafe's Gossamer Go-based Polkadot Host implementation. Both maintain reference client code and contribute to Polkadot ecosystem infrastructure.
- Figment: Figment is a leading blockchain infrastructure provider offering node services, staking, and validator operations across multiple PoS networks including Ethereum, Cosmos, Polkadot, and others. Directly comparable to ChainSafe's staking and node operations business at similar scale.
- Allnodes: Allnodes provides non-custodial staking and node-hosting services across many PoS networks including Ethereum, Polkadot, and Celestia. Directly comparable to ChainSafe's staking service product line.
- P2P.org: P2P.org is one of the largest non-custodial Ethereum validators with billions staked and operates across multiple PoS networks. Directly comparable as a major staking infrastructure competitor in ChainSafe's primary staking segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ChainSafe Systems social profiles
Digital presenceChainSafe Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ChainSafe Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
ChainSafe Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ChainSafe Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ChainSafe Systems
What does ChainSafe Systems do?
ChainSafe Systems builds and maintains open-source blockchain protocol clients (Lodestar for Ethereum, Forest for Filecoin, Gossamer for Polkadot) and provides enterprise Web3 infrastructure services including co-development, RPC endpoints, staking, and cross-chain middleware. The company also offers the Daml Autopilot AI assistant for Canton Network smart contract development and the web3.unity SDK for connecting Unity games to blockchain networks.
Is ChainSafe Systems a public or private company?
ChainSafe Systems is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ChainSafe Systems founded?
ChainSafe Systems was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ChainSafe Systems based?
ChainSafe Systems is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does ChainSafe Systems make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Co-Development Services are the primary driver. The others are infrastructure Services, protocol Client Maintenance and daml Autopilot Platform.
Who are ChainSafe Systems's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ankr, ConsenSys (Infura), Blockdaemon and Alchemy. Direct peers are Parity Technologies, Figment, Allnodes and P2P.org.
Does ChainSafe Systems have an API?
Yes. Forest provides a JSON-RPC API that enables developers to interact with the Filecoin blockchain. The API supports multiple versions (v0, v1, v2) and includes methods for chain interaction, wallet management, state queries, snapshot operations, and F3 (Filecoin Fast Finality) interactions. Authentication is via JWT tokens. Daml Autopilot provides a Code Analysis Service through an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI-powered Daml code generation and analysis. Developer documentation is at docs.forest.chainsafe.io/reference/json-rpc.
What industry is ChainSafe Systems in?
ChainSafe Systems's product category is Blockchain Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAAAE, Interoperability & Cross-Chain Messaging (bridges, IBC, messaging, routing), with a secondary code of FSAPABAF, Cross-Chain Developer Tooling (messaging SDKs, relayers, interoperability APIs). Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 6200.