Converge Network aims to bridge real-world assets and DeFi

Ethena Labs and Securitize have released the initial roadmap for Converge, a new blockchain network designed to bring together real-world asset tokenisation and decentralised finance applications.

The Converge network will launch its testnet in the coming weeks, with a mainnet debut planned for later in 2025.

According to the announcement, Converge will feature a native block time of 100 milliseconds, with plans to reduce this to 50 milliseconds by the end of the year.

By the end of 2025, the developers hope to enable both permissioned and permissionless applications on the same infrastructure, with a throughput of at least one gigagas, or billions of gas units handled each second.

Ethena and Securitize are building Converge to accommodate both traditional financial institutions and decentralised projects, reflecting the growing overlap between traditional finance and crypto.

The network intends to provide institutional-grade infrastructure for large-scale tokenisation of real-world assets, such as stablecoins and tokenised bonds, while also enabling permissionless DeFi applications.

A key technical feature will be the Converge Validator Network (CVN), which will use staked ENA (CRYPTO:ENA) tokens to secure the chain, provide governance, and add protections against exploits and malicious activity.

The CVN will have the authority to intervene in cases of network threats, pause activity during critical incidents, and review high-impact governance proposals, according to the technical roadmap.

“Institutions have realised the benefits of a securely decentralised system. As early as 2021, reports said nearly one in three institutional investors in crypto were already using DeFi,” said Shibtoshi, founder of SilentSwap.

The roadmap also highlights close integration with Arbitrum (CRYPTO:ARB) and Celestia (CRYPTO:TIA), leveraging their technology to push EVM performance and data availability to new levels.

“We need to have some sort of regulatory clarity so that you could bring these together because, fundamentally, it will drive out costs, and there is great innovation that the technology enables,” commented Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson.

While some in the crypto community see the merging of traditional and decentralised finance as inevitable, others have raised concerns about institutional capture and regulatory risks.

The Converge network’s development reflects broader industry trends, as financial firms seek compliant, scalable blockchain solutions to bridge the gap between traditional assets and the growing DeFi ecosystem.