Caldera

Caldera is a rollup infrastructure platform built on Ethereum that enables projects to deploy custom Layer 2 blockchains. Instead of building a single high-throughput chain, Caldera facilitates horizontal scaling by allowing developers to launch tailored rollups using various frameworks such as Optimism, Arbitrum, zkSync, and Polygon.

In 2023, Caldera introduced a rollup-as-a-service (RaaS) platform, simplifying deployment by handling infrastructure, security, and customisation.

To address fragmentation across Ethereum rollups, Caldera introduced the Metalayer, a unifying coordination layer for rollups. The Metalayer enhances inter-rollup communication, asset transfer, and shared infrastructure by using core features such as message passing, fast finality, preconfirmations, and guardian nodes. It functions similarly to early internet standardisation protocols by enabling rollups with different architectures to interact and scale collectively.

The ERA token is the native utility and governance token of the Caldera ecosystem and powers the Metalayer.

Primary uses include:

• Omnichain Gas Token: ERA is used to pay gas fees for cross-rollup transactions and data propagation across the Metalayer.

• Staking & Node Participation: Nodes participating in the Metalayer are required to stake ERA, which determines their level of participation in consensus and infrastructure services.

• Subnet Operations: Utility-specific subnetworks built atop the Metalayer (e.g., for zero-knowledge proof generation) also use ERA for operations and consensus.

• Governance: ERA holders can propose and vote on Caldera Improvement Proposals (CIPs), protocol upgrades, and DAO-related matters. This includes electing members to governance and security councils.