Acala Network
Acala Network is a Singapore-based DeFi hub on Polkadot, operated by the Acala Foundation, offering liquid staking (HOMA/LDOT, tDOT), a universal asset hub, EVM+ smart contract compatibility, and the Euphrates cross-chain liquid staking platform serving DeFi users, developers, and institutional integrators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Acala Network does
Acala Network is a Singapore-based, foundation-governed DeFi protocol launched in 2019 and operated by the Acala Foundation, functioning as the primary DeFi hub on the Polkadot ecosystem with a sister network (Karura) on Kusama. Its core offering is a Substrate-based application-specific blockchain (appchain) with EVM+ compatibility, enabling Solidity developers to deploy Ethereum-style smart contracts alongside custom DeFi primitives. Flagship products include HOMA, a liquid staking protocol that issues LDOT against staked DOT; tDOT, a synthetic DOT asset pegged via the Stable Asset System that consolidates native and derivative DOT yield; the Universal Asset Hub, which hosts LST protocols, a DEX, and a multichain asset router bridge; and Euphrates, a unified liquid staking platform integrating cross-chain LSTs such as Jito (Solana) and Rocket Pool (Ethereum).
The platform's revenue mechanics center on tokenized economics rather than traditional SaaS pricing: ACA and KAR tokens power micro gas fees (with fee payment accepted in multiple tokens), staking and governance, and protocol-level incentive distribution, while a portion of cumulative transaction fees is burned monthly. Distribution is product-led and community-governed — users self-serve via the Acala DApp and Euphrates front-ends, developers build on EVM+ and access grants through the Acala Ecosystem Program, and ACA token holders direct ecosystem incentives through on-chain governance. The user base spans retail and institutional DeFi users, Web3 developers, institutional finance integrators (Coinbase, Figment, Current.com, Credora), and DOT/KSM holders participating in crowdloans and governance.
Acala has raised approximately $69.65 million cumulatively across a $1.35M seed (March 2020), a $7.3M strategic round led by Pantera Capital (August 2020), and the landmark $61M+ Build Acala crowdloan (September 2021) that secured its Polkadot parachain slot. Backers include Polychain, Coinbase Ventures, Jump Crypto, Republic, DCG, KR1, HashKey, ParaFi, and Spartan Group. Security is underpinned by audits from SR Labs, Trail of Bits, and Slowmist, with risk-management support from Gauntlet. The announced Acala 2.0 (Exodus) upgrade signals the next phase of protocol evolution.
Acala Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acala Network
- Legal name
- Acala Foundation
- Website
- https://acala.network
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Acala Network is a Singapore-based DeFi hub on Polkadot, operated by the Acala Foundation, offering liquid staking (HOMA/LDOT, tDOT), a universal asset hub, EVM+ smart contract compatibility, and the Euphrates cross-chain liquid staking platform serving DeFi users, developers, and institutional integrators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acala Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Decentralized Finance Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Institutional DeFi & On-Chain Liquidity Infrastructure (Permissioned DeFi, Lending) (FSAGAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cross-Chain Bridges & Interoperability Protocols (FSADAMAG), DEX Aggregation & On-Chain Execution (routing, RFQ, intent-based trading) (FSAPAEAD), DeFi Asset Management & On-Chain Index Protocols (FSADAMAK), Credit Marketplaces, Aggregators & Loan Routing (FSADAFAJ), DAO Treasury, Governance & On-Chain Finance Tools (FSADAMAL)
Keywords
Where Acala Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Acala Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees (ACA Token): ACA powers micro gas fees and smart contract execution on Acala network. 20% of cumulative transaction fees are burned monthly, with 1% of unspent tokens burned monthly.
- Staking and Governance Rewards: ACA tokens can be staked to participate in network validation and governance. Ecosystem token contributions and ACA are farmable via staked ACA.
- Incentive Distribution: Token holders vote for distribution of tokens to liquidity pools, dApps, and initiatives supporting liquidity growth. Governance mechanism for directing ecosystem incentives.
- DeFi Protocol Fees: Fees generated from DEX trading, lending protocols, and other DeFi applications built on Acala's infrastructure layer.
- Securing Acala (Shortfall Mitigation): A portion of staked ACA can be used as mitigation tool in case of shortfall events within protocols native to Acala, creating insurance mechanism.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Acala DApp Access - Free tier |
| Other | Other | EVM+ Development Platform |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Acala Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acala Network is a Substrate-based application-specific blockchain (appchain) on Polkadot that serves as a decentralized finance hub, providing built-in DeFi primitives including liquid staking (HOMA protocol), synthetic assets (tDOT), a decentralized exchange, and cross-chain bridges. The platform offers EVM+ compatibility enabling Solidity developers to build financial applications, with institutional-grade backend infrastructure trusted by companies like Coinbase, Figment, Current.com, and Credora. Its sister network Karura provides parallel DeFi services on Kusama.
Product overview
Acala Network operates as a unified DeFi platform on Polkadot, with its sister network Karura on Kusama. The core offering includes Acala Network (DeFi hub on Polkadot) and Karura (DeFi hub on Kusama), both built for financial applications. Key products include HOMA (liquid staking for DOT yielding LDOT), tDOT (synthetic DOT asset with yield), and the Universal Asset Hub (hosting LST protocols, DEX, and multichain bridge). The EVM+ layer enables Solidity compatibility, while Euphrates provides unified liquid staking across assets. Native tokens ACA (1.6B max supply) and KAR (160M max supply) power staking, governance, and transaction fee economics. The platform targets developers building LSTFi, money markets, derivatives, DEXs, asset management, and payments applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HOMA: Liquidity For Staked DOT - decentralized, simple and secure staking protocol enabling users to stake DOT and receive LDOT tokens to use across DeFi
- Euphrates
- tDOT
- Universal Asset Hub
- Acala EVM+
- aSEED
Products and services
- Acala Network The DeFi Hub of Polkadot - an Ethereum-compatible smart contract platform optimized for DeFi and scaling DApps to Polkadot, providing backend infrastructure trusted by institutions like Coinbase, Figment, Current.com, and Credora.
- Karura The DeFi Hub of Kusama - Acala's sister network on Kusama, an all-in-one DeFi platform offering swap, borrow, lend, earn, and liquid staking with micro gas fees.
- HOMA (LDOT Liquid Staking)
- tDOT Synthetic Asset
- Euphrates
- Acala DApp
- ACA Token Utility token powering the Acala DeFi hub with max supply of 1,600,000,000, used for staking, governance, incentive distribution, transaction fees, and securing the network.
- KAR Token
- Multichain Asset Router Bridge
Quantifiable outcome
- Micro gas fees at fraction of costs compared to other networks
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Acala Network
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Acala Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature6 records
Acala Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered ecosystem partner, core infrastructure partner, security partner, risk partner and infrastructure partner.
- Hypersphereecosystem partnerPolkadot ecosystem investment and operational partner contributing to Acala's ecosystem development.
- Alluvialecosystem partnerEcosystem team building on Acala network, featured in ecosystem showcase.
- Web3 Foundationcore infrastructure partnerCore development foundation for Polkadot providing infrastructure support and technical collaboration for Acala's parachain development.
- Centrifugeecosystem partnerRWA-focused protocol building on Acala ecosystem with Altair parachain integration.
- Hydrationecosystem partnerLeading DeFi protocol in Polkadot ecosystem, fellow DeFi platform in the ecosystem.
- Mantaecosystem partnerPrivacy-focused protocol building in Acala ecosystem.
- Phalaecosystem partnerPrivacy computing protocol in ecosystem with Khala parachain presence.
- Taiga Protocolecosystem partnerProtocol building tDOT synthetic asset integration with Acala's Stable Asset System.
- Jitoecosystem partnerSolana liquid staking protocol integrated with Euphrates for cross-chain LST support.
- Rocket Poolecosystem partnerEthereum liquid staking protocol (rETH) supported on Euphrates platform for multi-chain LST.
- SR Labssecurity partnerSecurity auditing firm providing continuous auditing services for Acala's smart contracts and infrastructure.
- Trail of Bitssecurity partnerLeading security audit firm that has audited Acala's codebase.
- Slowmistsecurity partnerBlockchain security firm providing security auditing services.
- Gauntletrisk partnerDeFi risk assessment and simulation platform contributing to Acala's risk management.
- Figmentinfrastructure partnerLeading staking infrastructure provider using Acala and enterprise validator services.
- P2P Validatorinfrastructure partnerValidator and infrastructure services for Acala network.
- OnFinalityinfrastructure partnerBlockchain infrastructure provider supporting Acala nodes and API services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Acala Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Aave: Aave is a broad DeFi lending incumbent that anchors the lending/borrowing vertical Acala targets with its borrowing/lending protocols. Aave's brand and liquidity depth dwarf any parachain-based lending market.
- Curve Finance: Curve is the dominant stablecoin and like-kind AMM; Acala's DEX competes for routing swap volume against Curve's entrenched pool economics and stable-asset swap flows.
- MakerDAO (Sky): MakerDAO (now Sky) is the leading decentralized stablecoin issuer (DAI/USDS), a direct comparator to Acala's aUSD stablecoin and tDOT Stable Asset System for on-chain collateralized issuance.
Direct peers
- Astar Network: Astar is another Polkadot parachain supporting EVM and WASM smart contracts with a DeFi-focused dApp stack. It overlaps Acala's EVM+ developer pitch and parachain positioning.
- Hydration: Hydration (formerly HydraDX) is explicitly named as a leading Polkadot DeFi protocol alongside Acala, offering an omnipool DEX and DeFi hub on Substrate. It is the closest direct competitor in Polkadot-native DeFi primitives.
- Moonbeam: Moonbeam is a Polkadot parachain offering EVM-compatible smart contract functionality. It competes with Acala EVM+ for Solidity developers building within the Polkadot ecosystem and pursuing cross-chain DeFi applications.
- Lido Finance: Lido is the leading decentralized liquid staking protocol and a direct analog to Acala's HOMA protocol (which issues LDOT for staked DOT). The two compete on cross-chain liquid staking LST share.
- Rocket Pool: Rocket Pool is the leading Ethereum liquid staking protocol (rETH), already integrated into Acala's Euphrates platform. It serves the same liquid-staking primitive for ETH that HOMA serves for DOT.
- Marinade Finance: Marinade is the dominant Solana liquid staking protocol (mSOL) integrated via Jito into Acala's Euphrates. It is a cross-chain LST peer competing for unified staking yields.
Emerging players
- Wormhole: Wormhole is a cross-chain bridge protocol already integrated with Acala (multichain asset router). They share overlapping cross-chain messaging and asset-routing ambitions, and their roadmaps intersect at Polkadot/Ethereum/Solana bridges.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Acala Network social profiles
Digital presenceAcala Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acala Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Acala Network subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Acala Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors31 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acala Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Acala Network
What does Acala Network do?
Acala Network is a Substrate-based application-specific blockchain (appchain) on Polkadot that serves as a decentralized finance hub, providing built-in DeFi primitives including liquid staking (HOMA protocol), synthetic assets (tDOT), a decentralized exchange, and cross-chain bridges. The platform offers EVM+ compatibility enabling Solidity developers to build financial applications, with institutional-grade backend infrastructure trusted by companies like Coinbase, Figment, Current.com, and Credora. Its sister network Karura provides parallel DeFi services on Kusama.
Is Acala Network a public or private company?
Acala Network is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Acala Network founded?
Acala Network was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Acala Network based?
Acala Network is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does Acala Network make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees (ACA Token) is the primary driver. The others are staking and Governance Rewards, incentive Distribution, deFi Protocol Fees and securing Acala (Shortfall Mitigation).
Who are Acala Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Aave, Curve Finance and MakerDAO (Sky). Direct peers are Astar Network, Hydration, Moonbeam, Lido Finance, Rocket Pool and Marinade Finance. Wormhole is listed as an emerging player.
Does Acala Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acala Network.
What industry is Acala Network in?
Acala Network's product category is Decentralized Finance Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAMAG, Institutional DeFi & On-Chain Liquidity Infrastructure (Permissioned DeFi, Lending), with a secondary code of FSADAMAG, Cross-Chain Bridges & Interoperability Protocols. Its NAICS code is 523210 and its SIC code is 6200.