> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.espressosys.com/network/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.espressosys.com/network/readme.md).

# Espresso

Espresso provides **real-time settlement** for institution-grade financial applications. Dedicated execution environments keep transaction data private, scale in parallel, and coordinate securely across systems through cryptographic proofs rather than trusted intermediaries.

Unlike legacy blockchains competing to become the sole execution environment for all onchain activity, Espresso was built for a far more likely outcome: onchain finance and the broader digital economy will span many independent systems and ledgers, as it already does. Espresso is the **neutral foundation** the multichain future needs, offering decentralized security, **fast finality**, and the ability to scale to millions of transactions per second.

Espresso is a blockchain, but not like other blockchains. Unlike legacy blockchains, Espresso was purpose-built to serve as a foundation for other chains and applications. [Learn more](/network/learn/what-is-espresso.md)

Espresso Systems is the lead developer of [Espresso](/network/learn/what-is-espresso.md).

Espresso is built around four core principles:

* **Performance**: real-time settlement and fast finality; the ability to scale to millions of transactions per second
* **Control**: configurable execution environments for compliance, fees, ordering, asset support, and application logic
* **Privacy**: transaction data stays private to authorized participants; execution logic can involve decryption using access keys held only by authorized clients
* **Secure interoperability**: crosschain coordination secured by zero-knowledge proofs and decentralized consensus, not trusted intermediaries

{% hint style="info" %}
**Ready to connect with Espresso?** [Talk to the team](mailto:hello@espressosys.com?subject=Connect%20with%20Espresso)
{% endhint %}

***

## Digitizing Financial Infrastructure

Institutions moving financial assets onchain often face a tradeoff. Public blockchains offer liquidity and interoperability, but limit control and predictability. Private blockchains preserve control, but create fragmentation and reduce access to the broader ecosystem.

Espresso resolves this. [Espresso for Enterprise](#espresso-for-enterprise)

***

## How It Works

**Settlement and execution are separated.** Each application environment has its own sequencer that orders transactions and streams them to Espresso. Espresso finalizes that stream through decentralized Proof of Stake consensus, establishing a definitive record of what happened. Each application then executes its own deterministic logic against that finalized transaction stream. For private applications, this includes decrypting transactions using access keys held only by authorized participants. Because Espresso's consensus ensures all clients observe the same finalized sequence, all authorized clients derive identical state.

**Crosschain coordination uses cryptographic proofs.** Applications that need to verify state or pass messages across environments do not reconstruct the full source state. Instead, coordination servers attach zero-knowledge proofs to crosschain messages, allowing destination environments to verify correctness without re-executing the source logic. This removes the need for trusted intermediaries in crosschain settlement.

**Execution scales horizontally.** Espresso does not execute transactions. Each environment runs its own execution logic, which means Espresso is not the throughput bottleneck. Multiple dedicated environments run in parallel, each scaling independently, and Espresso finalizes their output. Institutions can run high-throughput financial workloads across many parallel environments without any single execution environment becoming the constraint.

***

## Espresso for Enterprise

For institutions digitizing assets, payments, and financial infrastructure. Run dedicated execution environments on your own rules, settled through Espresso and connected to broader onchain markets.

Companies and blockchains like Celo, ApeChain, Gate, Litecoin Foundation, and others have already chosen Espresso for the architectural freedom and native interoperability no monolithic chain can match.

Enterprise deployments on Espresso get:

* **Dedicated environments**: sovereign execution with custom rules for fees, ordering, compliance, and asset support
* **Privacy-preserving settlement**: dedicated environments can keep transaction data encrypted, with only authorized participants able to derive application state
* **Shared finality**: a common finality layer that coordinates state across systems in real time
* **Security by consensus**: crosschain coordination secured by zero-knowledge proofs and decentralized Proof of Stake finality, reducing reliance on trusted intermediaries
* **Liquidity access**: State finalized by Espresso can be verified by Ethereum and other connected chains, so dedicated environments can stay connected to onchain liquidity including USDC, USDT, and other Ethereum-issued assets without giving up architectural control

{% hint style="info" %}
See institutional deployments in action. [Example Solutions](#example-solutions)
{% endhint %}

***

## Example Solutions

Espresso is designed to support institutional applications such as collateral management, stablecoins, tokenized assets, and payment networks.

### Collateral Management and Margin Monitoring

**Real-time crosschain collateral with cryptographic proof of position across systems.**

Real-time collateral management requires a reliable, unified view of positions across multiple systems. Espresso's shared finality provides that foundation. Multiple collateral environments can run in parallel, scaling throughput linearly, while crosschain coordination secured by zero-knowledge proofs allows assets on one environment to serve as collateral in agreements on another.

* **Parallel environments**: multiple collateral application instances run concurrently, each scaling independently
* **ZK-secured crosschain coordination**: positions and collateral state are verifiable across environments without re-executing source logic or relying on trusted intermediaries
* **Real-time settlement**: Espresso finalizes a unified transaction sequence across all environments, giving risk systems a consistent, timely view of positions

A live Digital Assets Summit 2026 demo showed crosschain collateral management concepts at scale.

### Stablecoin Issuance

**A stablecoin that behaves like a traditional fintech payment platform, with blockchain settlement underneath.**

* **Dedicated execution environment**: an application-specific environment with custom rules and settlement through Espresso
* **Interoperability**: connect to supported DeFi and blockchain ecosystems without making users manage bridge mechanics directly
* **Gas abstraction**: applications can abstract fee payment from end users where the product design supports it
* **Privacy**: transaction data remains private to authorized participants; only those with appropriate access can derive balances and activity

Modern stablecoins operate as full applications, combining fast crosschain movement, compliance controls, and DeFi interaction. Espresso provides the infrastructure to deliver this as a dedicated, institution-controlled product.

### Asset Tokenization and RWA

**Tokenized assets on a high-performance, customizable environment with full compliance controls, interoperable with the broader blockchain ecosystem.**

* **Dedicated infrastructure**: institutions retain control over issuance rules, compliance requirements, and access permissions
* **DeFi-compatible**: tokenized assets can be listed, traded, and used as collateral across DeFi
* **Privacy-preserving**: sensitive transaction data and ownership records can remain private to authorized participants

### Payment Service Provider Applications

**A dedicated application environment for enterprises building onchain payment networks: neobanks, payment processors, and fintech platforms.**

* **Custom fee models**: flat, percentage-based, or zero, aligned with existing pricing structures
* **Gasless end-user experiences**: applications can remove gas fees entirely for end users; fee handling is a configuration decision at the execution environment level, not a network constraint
* **Compliance controls**: enforce access rules, transaction limits, and asset restrictions at the environment level
* **Crosschain settlement**: connect payment flows to broader blockchain markets through secure interoperability

***

## Espresso for Chains

For teams building dedicated chains across payments, consumer apps, DeFi, and application-specific deployments. Get settlement, security, and crosschain connectivity out of the box.

Chains built on Espresso get:

* **Control**: a dedicated environment built around your own requirements
* **Configurability**: design the system around the product, not the other way around
* **Connectivity**: native interoperability with every other chain on Espresso
* **Performance**: fast finality on Mainnet today; the ability to scale to millions of transactions per second

{% hint style="info" %}
Learn how chains build on Espresso. [Custom Chain Infrastructure](https://github.com/EspressoSystems/gitbook/blob/main/concepts/custom-chain-infrastructure.md)
{% endhint %}

***

## How to Work With Espresso

Each environment is fully customizable: fees, transaction ordering, VM extensions, compliance controls, and privacy configuration. Organizations benefit from the security of Espresso's validator network and connectivity to the broader blockchain ecosystem. Deployments can be built directly on Espresso or designed and operated by Espresso Systems.

The network offers fast finality on Mainnet today, with the ability to scale to millions of transactions per second. Crosschain collateral management use cases have been [demonstrated live at Digital Assets Summit 2026](https://www.espressosys.com/collateral-mgmt-demo).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Exploring asset digitization, digital payments, or tokenized financial products?** [Talk to the team](mailto:hello@espressosys.com?subject=Connect%20with%20Espresso)
{% endhint %}

***

## About

Espresso Systems builds digital asset infrastructure for enterprises that demand speed and customizability without sacrificing architectural control. We believe the future of finance is multichain, and build with that thesis in mind. We design and operate production-grade applications on Espresso, a high-performance blockchain providing real-time settlement, fast finality, and the ability to scale to millions of transactions per second.

Espresso Systems was founded in 2021 by [Ben Fisch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-fisch-2b20055b), [Benedikt Bünz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/buenz), [Charles Lu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleslu1), and [Jill Gunter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillrgunter), and is backed by more than $50 million from Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, Paxos, Gemini, and Coinbase Ventures.

The network is used by Offchain Labs (Arbitrum), Celo (Valora, MiniPay), Yuga Labs (ApeChain), Bitget (Morph Chain), Rarible (Rari Chain), and Litecoin (LitVM).


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