Polygon Labs and GSR have launched Katana, a DeFi-focused Layer 2 blockchain, with its mainnet going live on June 30, 2025. The launch was supported by over $240 million in pre-deposited assets, which are already being deployed to generate sustainable, high yields through integrations with protocols like Yearn Finance, SushiSwap, and Morpho Labs. Katana operates on Polygon's Agglayer stack and features native vault bridges, incentivizing users with a total allocation of 1 billion $KAT tokens for rewards. Within seven days, Katana's total value locked (TVL) reached $430 million, with Morpho Labs contributing $150 million on day one, making it the largest DeFi protocol on any Layer 2 by deposits. The platform also benefits from Chainlink Scale, providing Chainlink CCIP, Data Feeds, and Data Streams from launch to support its DeFi ecosystem. Additionally, Katana offers high APYs, deep liquidity, and a native bridge enabling efficient asset swaps and withdrawals. Parallel to Katana's growth, Kaito AI introduced its Capital Launchpad, a web3 crowdfunding platform designed to fund early-stage crypto projects based on community reputation and alignment rather than speed. The first project on Kaito's launchpad is EspressoSys, aiming to raise $60 million at a $400 million valuation with a vesting schedule that includes a 12-month cliff and staggered unlocks thereafter. This launchpad emphasizes merit-based allocation using social media data to identify genuine community supporters.