TL;DR
- Caldera’s Founders Fund–backed ERA token launches as the universal gas asset across 50+ custom rollups, streamlining fees and bolstering its $400 M TVL ecosystem after raising $25M.
- ERA powers three core functions: omnichain gas payments, staking for cross-chain message validation rewards, and on-chain governance with community-driven councils.
- A retroactive airdrop of 70 M ERA (7% of supply) rewards early users, testnet contributors, and partners, claimable via the portal through July 17.
Caldera, which is supported by the Founders Fund, is launching its own ERA token to drive the upcoming phase of modular blockchain scaling. Since its 2022 launch, Caldera’s engine has spun up over 50 custom rollups across Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystems, including Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and zkSync, amassing over $400 million in total value locked.
With $25 million raised so far, including a $15 million Series A, the team is poised to accelerate growth through token-driven incentives. Underpinning Caldera’s vision is its Metalayer protocol: an interoperability fabric that weaves disparate rollups into a unified network.
ERA will act as the universal gas token for all Caldera-powered chains, making fees and liquidity flows easier. Developers can launch bespoke rollups with built-in cross-chain messaging and pooled liquidity, all fueled by the same native asset.
Three Pillars of ERA Token Utility
ERA’s design revolves around three core functions. First, it acts as the standard omnichain gas token, settling transaction fees across any Caldera rollup without juggling multiple tokens. Second, ERA enables staking to secure cross-chain message validation, nodes will lock up tokens to back fraud-proof systems, and earn rewards.
Third, it ushers in on-chain governance: token holders can propose, debate, and vote on protocol upgrades, fee parameters, and ecosystem grants. Caldera’s foundation, headquartered in the Cayman Islands, will shepherd this transition. Initially, a centralized council will guide early decisions, but governance will steadily open up.
Over time, ERA holders will elect sub-councils, such as a technical security committee, ensuring every upgrade and security audit is community-driven.
Community Airdrop Sparks Early Engagement
To encourage participation, Caldera is setting aside 7 percent of ERA’s 1 billion supply, which is 70 million tokens, for a retroactive community airdrop. Early users, testnet contributors, and ecosystem partners can register via the official claim portal now through July 17 at 12:00 UTC.
Those who pre-claim will secure a piece of the initial distribution before the token generation event. This retroactive approach mirrors successful launches by leading DeFi projects, rewarding genuine builders rather than speculators. By recognizing past contributions, from running testnet transactions to participating in developer bounties, Caldera aims to foster loyalty and align incentives.
