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Your ecosystem guide / Ink

Ink by Kraken: what the network is and how to start

Ink is an Ethereum layer 2 built on the OP Stack and launched by Kraken. Its own documentation calls it “an Ethereum OP Stack layer 2 blockchain designed to be the house of DeFi for the Superchain”.

Get started Explore the ecosystem
Status
Mainnet operational
Verified on 18.09.2026
Gas
ETH, on mainnet and on Ink Sepolia alike
Verified on 18.09.2026
Chain ID
57073
Verified on 18.09.2026
Block time
1 second
Verified on 18.09.2026
Ink
All sections

First steps

How to start using Ink

Wallet and network Get ETH in Back to an exchange

Wallet and network parameters

Kraken Wallet
Ink Mainnet is supported natively Source →
Rainbow
Ink Mainnet is supported natively Source →
MetaMask
Added by hand: network name Ink, chain ID 57073, currency ETH, RPC and explorer from the documentation Source →
Chain ID
57073 Source →
RPC
rpc-qnd.inkonchain.com answered a direct call on 18 September 2026; rpc-gel.inkonchain.com returned 403 to the same request Source →
Gas
ETH, on mainnet and on Ink Sepolia alike Source →
Block explorer
explorer.inkonchain.com (Blockscout) Block explorer ↗ Source →
Instructions in the Ink documentation ↗

Withdrawing ETH from an exchange to Ink

Withdrawal fees to Ink
Coin Exchange Network on the exchange Fee Minimum Withdrawals Action
ETH Kraken INK 0 0.0003 Open Withdraw
Exchange data as of 25.09.2026 21:07
All ETH fees on the Ink network →
Kraken
Ink’s FAQ: “Kraken also supports the Ink network with zero withdrawal fees” Source →
Bridge
Ink runs no bridging portal of its own: “At the moment, Ink does not host its own bridging portal.” The documentation points to partner bridges on the network’s dashboard Bridge ↗ Source →

Depositing ETH from Ink to an exchange

Accepting ETH from the Ink network:

  • Kraken · INK

exchange data as of 25.09.2026 21:07

From Kraken to an open network.

Ink is a separate L2. The exchange, applications and blockchain have different jobs.

L2

Ink

Applications and transactions

Stack

OP Stack

Network technology and the Superchain family

L1

Ethereum

Data publication and settlement

All facts and technical details

What it is

What the Ink network is

Contracts are ordinary EVM contracts: “Seamlessly deploy any Solidity contract written for Ethereum Mainnet or other L2s directly on Ink.”

Parameter Value
Status Mainnet operational Source →
Who built it Kraken: “Unleashed by Kraken, Ink will leverage Kraken’s security and crypto expertise to support builders” Source →
Chain ID 57073 Source →
Gas ETH, on mainnet and on Ink Sepolia alike Source →
Block time 1 second Source →
RPC rpc-qnd.inkonchain.com answered a direct call on 18 September 2026; rpc-gel.inkonchain.com returned 403 to the same request Source →
Block explorer explorer.inkonchain.com (Blockscout) Block explorer ↗ Source →
Genesis 6 December 2024, 15:20:11 UTC — the timestamp of block 0. Kraken announced the public mainnet launch twelve days later, on 18 December 2024 Source →
Testnet Ink Sepolia, chain ID 763373, gas in test ETH Source →

Verified on 18.09.2026

Kraken’s Ink is unrelated to ink!, the Polkadot smart-contract language: this network runs on the OP Stack and executes EVM contracts.

Ink / under the hood

What if you paid gas in dollars?

You pay in a stablecoin. Ink receives ETH. The paymaster in between covers gas and is reimbursed in your selected token.

The application must support Ink Paymaster. In EIP-7702 mode, the initial USDC approval requires ETH for gas. This diagram explains the mechanism without quoting a price.

Ink Docs · How it works — primary source ↗ USDC / USD₮0 / USDG ↗

Checked 21 Sep 2026

You pay

USDC / USD₮0 / USDG
Ink Paymaster

The network receives

ETH

Smart accounts support USDC, USD₮0 and USDG.

You pay

USDC
Ink Paymaster

The network receives

ETH

EIP-7702 supports USDC only. USD₮0 and USDG are unavailable in this mode.

What is behind the Earn button?

A familiar Kraken interface can give you access to several DeFi protocols. Let’s look inside.

Look under the hood

KrakenUser interface

VedaVault infrastructure

TydroLending protocol on Ink

AaveLending protocol

This is a component map, not the path of every deposit: strategies and networks differ. Returns vary and access depends on region. Withdrawals may be delayed when liquidity is insufficient.

Aave × Kraken ↗ Kraken DeFi Earn ↗

Who pays for the action?

Paying gas and sponsoring a transaction are different mechanisms.

Ξ

The user

A regular transaction spends ETH.

→

A paymaster

An application may cover gas under its own conditions.

All facts and technical details

Fees

What you pay for a transaction

Gas is paid in ETH.

Parameter Value
Execution fee “An execution fee for the chain you’re on (i.e. Ink L2)” Source →
Security fee “A security fee that helps secure the L2 by publishing L2 transactions to Ethereum (the L1)” — generally the larger of the two Source →
Paymaster A public paymaster lets a smart account reimburse gas in USDC, USD₮0 or USDG; the EIP-7702 v0.8 deployment accepts USDC only Source →

Verified on 18.09.2026

Gas in a stablecoin

Applications

What runs on Ink

Lending

Tydro

A non-custodial liquidity protocol built on Ink and powered by Aave: supply assets, borrow against collateral.

Tydro ↗ Source ↗

Trading

Nado

An order-book DEX with unified margin across spot, margin and perpetual futures.

Nado ↗ Source ↗

Launchpads

Interfaces

Pump.fun

Ink trading works in the Pump.fun mobile app: the announcement of 14 September 2026 offers trading of Ink tokens for USDC without bridging.

Pump.fun ↗ Source ↗

Bridges

Vaults

Meme tokens

Meme tokens and their contracts

All six addresses exist on Ink and return the stated ticker.

Collections

NFT collections

Five collections, with the size each one shows on OpenSea.

INK is not the gas currency.

The ecosystem token and the asset used for fees should not be confused.

Ξ

ETH

Fees for regular transactions.

INK

Ecosystem token

Purpose, issuance and terms are in the sourced facts below.

All facts and technical details

Token

The INK token

The Ink Foundation announced the INK token in 2025. Kraken stated that INK “will be issued by a subsidiary of the Ink Foundation, an independent entity that stewards the Ink Layer 2”, and that the tokens “will be part of Kraken Drops program, and will be airdropped to eligible, active Kraken clients”.

Parameter Value
INK Announced, no launch date: “More details on these plans and the $INK airdrop will be shared in the future as milestones are reached” Source →
What the documentation says Ink’s own FAQ on 18 September 2026: “There is no information to share at this moment regarding any token from Ink” Source →
Ink Points A Kraken Pro loyalty programme, running since 6 April 2026: points accrue for trading, holding, staking and platform activity. Kraken’s article on it does not describe converting points into INK Source →

Gas on Ink is paid in ETH. Holding INK is not required to send a transaction. Source

Verified on 18.09.2026

Three roles. Different assumptions.

Publishing data on Ethereum does not remove the operator role or contract upgrade powers.

01

Sequencer

Orders transactions.

02

Ethereum

Stores the published network data.

03

Upgrades

Contract upgrade powers are a separate assumption.

All facts and technical details

Network

What secures the network, and what does not

L2BEAT rates Ink a Stage 1 rollup, a status it reached on 22 January 2025: “The project passes the walkaway test: users can exit in the presence of malicious operators even if the Security Council disappears.”

Parameter Value
Data availability All proof data is published on chain, in Ethereum blobs or calldata Source →
State validation Anyone can propose new state roots to the L1 bridge; disputes are resolved by interactive fraud proofs through bisection games Source →
Sequencer Centralised: it orders layer-2 transactions. A user can force a transaction through L1 with a delay of up to 12 hours Source →
Exit window None: the Security Council can upgrade the contracts instantly, without notice to users Source →

Verified on 18.09.2026

Accounts

Who to follow on Ink

Accounts and communities around the network.

Official Telegram reference links

Checked on 24.09.2026

Recent activity has not been confirmed.

InkOnChain @inkonchain Official Telegram group for Ink, the Ethereum Layer 2 introduced by Kraken. Recent activity across forum topics has not been verified.
Full list on telegram-crypto.com →

5 Discord communities on Ink

Checked on 20.09.2026

Discord communities: project links and ecosystem connections checked.

ANITA An Ink-themed mascot and meme project with profile-picture customization and ecosystem resources. Chat activity not confirmed Community Writes about this network Rekt Ink NFTs An independent NFT art project on Ink; its site also describes NFT tools and DeFi integrations. Chat activity not confirmed Community Writes about this network NFTs2Me NFT creation and deployment tools support Ink mainnet; the project links its support Discord. Chat activity not confirmed Community Writes about this network ZNS Connect ZNS Connect documents NFT collection deployment on Ink and offers .ink domains. Chat activity not confirmed Community Writes about this network Kraken The general Kraken community, linked to Ink through the company that released the network. Covers Kraken support and product news. Chat activity not confirmed Community Writes about this network
Full list on discordcatalog.com →

Questions

Questions about Ink

1What is the Ink network?

An Ethereum layer 2 on the OP Stack, launched by Kraken and part of the Optimism Superchain. Its own documentation describes it as “an Ethereum OP Stack layer 2 blockchain designed to be the house of DeFi for the Superchain”.

2Is this the ink! from Polkadot?

No. Kraken’s Ink runs on the OP Stack and executes EVM contracts; ink! is a smart-contract language for Substrate chains.

3Which token pays for gas on Ink?

ETH. A smart account can reimburse gas through the public paymaster in USDC, USD₮0 or USDG, but the network itself charges in ETH.

4Does Ink have its own token?

The Ink Foundation announced INK in 2025, and Kraken stated that INK will be part of its Drops programme and airdropped to eligible, active Kraken clients. No launch date has been named, and as of 18 September 2026 there is no INK coin in CoinGecko’s coin index.

5What are Ink Points?

A Kraken Pro loyalty programme for its most active traders, running since 6 April 2026. Points accrue for trading, holding, staking and platform activity. Kraken’s article on the programme does not describe converting them into INK.

6Which exchanges withdraw ETH to the Ink network?

Withdrawals to Ink are open on Kraken, as of 25.09.2026 21:07.

7How fast are Ink blocks?

One second. Polling the network’s RPC on 18 September 2026 returned exactly 1.000 seconds per block over the last thousand blocks, the last hundred thousand, the last five million and the whole chain since genesis.

8How safe is Ink?

L2BEAT rates Ink a Stage 1 rollup: transaction data is published to Ethereum, and anyone can propose or challenge a state root. Two trust assumptions remain — a single operator orders transactions, and the core contracts can be upgraded without a delay for users.

Claims

What was announced, and what we checked

Claimed

  • Purpose

    “Ink aims to scale up DeFi’s user base and evolve the quality and range of DeFi products”

    Source ↗
  • INK airdrop

    Kraken, 24 July 2025: INK will be part of Kraken Drops and airdropped to eligible, active Kraken clients

    Source ↗

Verified by us

  • Chain ID

    eth_chainId on rpc-qnd.inkonchain.com returned 0xdef1 — 57073, as the documentation says

    Source ↗
  • Block time

    Exactly 1.000 s per block over four windows — the last thousand blocks, the last hundred thousand, the last five million and the whole chain

    Source ↗
  • Genesis

    Block 0 is timestamped 6 December 2024, 15:20:11 UTC — twelve days before the announced mainnet launch

    Source ↗
  • INK on the market

    CoinGecko’s coin index holds no INK coin: as of 19 September 2026 a search for “ink” returns unrelated tickers and an NFT collection, while the network itself is listed as a platform with chain ID 57073 — CoinGecko knows the chain and has no coin for it

    Source ↗

Verified on 18.09.2026

Sources

Where this comes from

Ink ↗ Ink Documentation ↗ Ink Status ↗ Kraken Blog ↗ Nado ↗ Tydro ↗ DefiLlama — Ink ↗ L2BEAT — Ink ↗
Ink inkonchain.com The network’s own site and its application dashboard Official Affiliation confirmed en Ink Documentation docs.inkonchain.com Network parameters, wallets, fees and the paymaster Official Affiliation confirmed en Ink Status status.inkonchain.com Mainnet availability and the incident history Official Affiliation confirmed en Kraken Blog blog.kraken.com The exchange that launched the network, on the INK token and Kraken Drops Official Affiliation confirmed en Nado nado.xyz An order-book DEX with unified margin across spot, margin and perps Builders Affiliation confirmed en Tydro tydro.com The network’s lending layer, powered by Aave Builders Affiliation confirmed en DefiLlama — Ink defillama.com The list of protocols deployed on the network Analysis Affiliation confirmed en L2BEAT — Ink l2beat.com An independent assessment of the stage, the risks and the trust assumptions Analysis Affiliation confirmed en

Buying tokens

Trading terminals

Maestro

https://t.me/maestro

Details and supported networks

Buys a token from a pasted contract address. Beyond a manual trade it carries limit orders, auto-snipe, copytrade, signals and a bridge.

The fee is 1% on every buy and sell; transfers are not taxed. On Solana it is taken inside the same transaction, on other chains it accrues per Telegram account and is charged once unpaid fees pass the chain minimum. Keys: the documentation cites AES encryption, the Terms of Service say the provider retains the private keys.

Networks

Usage conditions: The Terms name the United States and Canada as a Restricted Location; the page with the rest of that list, maestrobots.com/restrictedlocations, is referenced by the Terms themselves and returns 404 as of 18 September 2026.

Open Maestro in Telegram ↗

Verified on 18 September 2026

Based

https://t.me/based_eth_bot

Details and supported networks

Buys a token from a pasted contract address. It carries copytrading, take-profit and stop-loss, limit orders, DCA and a sniper marked as EVM-only.

The fee is 1% per transaction. Keys: the bot provides the wallet, the documentation says the private key is not stored in clear and describes no export button. Based publishes no Terms, so no jurisdiction limits are named anywhere.

Networks

  • Base
  • Robinhood Chain
  • Solana
  • Arc
  • Binance Smart Chain
  • Ethereum
  • HyperEVM
  • Stable
  • Monad
  • Tempo
  • Avalanche
  • Abstract
  • MegaETH
  • Arbitrum
  • Ink
  • Unichain
  • Story
  • Plasma
  • X Layer
Open Based in Telegram ↗

Verified on 18 September 2026

Cove

https://t.me/cove_trading_bot

Details and supported networks

Trades off a single USDC balance on Solana and buys from a pasted contract address; buy and sell confirmations are off by default.

The fee is tiered: 1% on most chains, up to 2% on an Ethereum or HyperEVM buy, and Solana sells step from 10% down to 1%. Gas is sponsored up to $5 per trade and the bot asks for the surplus above that. Keys: the Privy-backed wallet is yours and the private key can be exported.

Networks

Usage conditions: The Terms, last updated on 11 September 2026, prohibit use from the United States, China and other listed jurisdictions, and prohibit using a VPN to get around that. But it works. At your own risk, folks.

Open Cove in Telegram ↗

Verified on 18 September 2026

OKX DEX

https://web3.okx.com/dex-swap

Details and supported networks

A web terminal with DEX aggregation, charts, wallet tracking and copy trading. Swap from a connected wallet; limit orders on supported networks require Trader Mode in OKX Wallet.

Interface fees range from 0% to 0.5% by token pair. Gas and DEX fees are separate. Bind TONSDOT to a supported wallet for 5% off the interface fee: 0.5% becomes 0.475%.

Networks

  • Ethereum
  • Solana
  • BNB Chain
  • Base
  • X Layer
  • Robinhood Chain
  • Arc
  • Ink
  • Tron
  • TON
  • ApeChain
  • Arbitrum
  • Avalanche C
  • Aptos
  • Blast
  • Cronos
  • Conflux eSpace
  • EthereumPoW
  • Fantom
  • HyperEVM
  • IoTeX
  • Linea
  • Monad
  • Mantle
  • Mode
  • Manta Pacific
  • Merlin
  • Metis
  • Optimism
  • Plasma
  • Pharos
  • Polygon
  • Sui
  • Sonic
  • Sei EVM
  • Scroll
  • Unichain
  • ZetaChain
  • zkSync Era

Usage conditions: Access is prohibited in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk and Luhansk. Referral codes support seed phrase wallets and private key wallets; the latter are supported only on Solana and EVM networks.

Open OKX DEX on the web ↗

Verified on 22 September 2026

All terminals with the details →

Addresses and routes checked 18 September 2026