Ondo Finance has launched Ondo Network, a new high-performance execution layer built to pair centralized exchange-style trading speed with blockchain features such as non-custodial asset handling and secure settlement.
Chief Executive Officer Ian De Bode said Ondo Network is an “evolved version” of the company’s earlier Ondo Chain plan. Rather than operating two networks in parallel, Ondo has changed course from building a full blockchain to focusing on an execution-layer architecture.
A shift away from the original Ondo Chain plan
According to the company, Ondo originally aimed to bring real-world assets fully on-chain through Ondo Chain. But while developing the Ondo Perps perpetuals trading platform and speaking with users, it concluded that the market’s main bottleneck is not asset settlement. It is trade execution efficiency.
Ondo Network uses a separated design for execution, validation, and settlement. It also isolates the execution environment with secure hardware. The company said that structure is intended to increase trading speed while preserving self-custody, verifiable trading, and permissionless blockchain properties.
Ondo Perps is the first application on the network
Ondo Perps has become the first application built on Ondo Network. The platform supports 24-hour trading in stock and commodity perpetual contracts, and lets users post tokenized real-world assets as collateral.
Ondo said the network may later support spot trading, lending, and structured products, areas that require high performance, privacy protection, and verifiable execution.
ONDO token role stays the same
The launch of Ondo Network does not change the role of the ONDO token, according to the company. De Bode said ONDO will remain the governance and incentive token for Ondo’s real-world asset ecosystem and market infrastructure. As the network decentralizes over time, ONDO will be used to coordinate incentives for validators, observers, and other ecosystem participants.