October 16, 2025 – Cardano interoperability gets a boost as Kima Network, the universal settlement layer bridging blockchains and traditional finance, receives a Catalyst grant from Cardano’s Project Catalyst Fund 14. The funding supports the creation of a dedicated Cardano adapter, enabling atomic, compliant settlements between Cardano, Ethereum, Solana, and fiat networks like SWIFT and Visa.
Key Takeaways
- Kima Network awarded ₳100,000 ADA from Cardano’s Project Catalyst Fund 14.
- Grant funds development of a Cardano adapter for atomic cross-chain and fiat settlements.
- Sub-10-second finality without bridges or custodians unlocks real-world liquidity.
- Wallet and stablecoin integrations expand Cardano’s DeFi ecosystem and institutional appeal.
Historical Context: Kima’s Fintech Roots and Cardano’s Catalyst Momentum
Kima Network launched in 2023 as a fintech-blockchain hybrid, pioneering multi-chain settlements via Threshold Signature Schemes (TSS). Its pilots with central banks, including the Bank of Israel and ECB, established secure cross-border flows and compliance-ready APIs.
Cardano’s Project Catalyst, launched in 2020, has disbursed over ₳1.5 million across 14 funds. Fund 14 emphasized interoperability projects, selecting Kima from thousands of proposals, strengthening Cardano’s path toward multi-chain connectivity and global DeFi expansion.
Long-Term Implications: Forging Compliant, Borderless Finance
The grant positions Cardano as a hub for compliant, atomic settlements, potentially scaling to $50 billion TVL by 2030. Kima’s adapter will enable programmable payments, Delivery vs Payment (DvP) for RWAs, and reduce costs by 40%, fostering adoption in emerging markets and bridging $10 trillion in global liquidity.
Integration challenges remain, but success could standardize cross-chain transactions, democratize DeFi, and enhance Cardano interoperability for wallets, stablecoins, and institutional finance, uniting TradFi and Web3.
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Cardano’s Interoperability Push
Kima Network’s ₳100,000 Catalyst grant from Fund 14, announced October 16, 2025, accelerates Cardano’s multi-chain ambitions by enabling atomic settlements with Ethereum, Solana, SWIFT, and Visa. This TSS-based adapter delivers sub-10-second finality without bridges, positioning Cardano to capture institutional liquidity and expand its DeFi ecosystem amid Project Catalyst’s ₳1.5M+ interoperability funding history.
