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Canton Network Development: Daml Apps, Validator Nodes and EVM Links

In short

The Canton Network is a public layer 1 blockchain for privacy-preserving financial transactions, created by Digital Asset; Canton Network development is the work of putting an institution's workflow on it. Canton does not run EVM contracts natively, so Solidity stays on the EVM chain, linked to Canton through LayerZero or Chainlink CCIP. Protofire builds and operates each part: contracts in Daml, Canton's smart contract language, the Ledger API integration, the validator node and the EVM end of each route. A MainNet validator needs the Canton Foundation's approval, should take weekly upgrades and, since 30 April 2026, earns nothing for uptime alone. The first decision is whether Protofire runs your own validator in your cloud account, or you rent a node from an approved operator.

Luis Medeiros

Reviewed by Luis Medeiros, Field CTO at ProtofireLast reviewed: October 2026

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Protofire builds the Daml application and its integrations, connects it to EVM chains over the routes that are live, and runs the nodes on DevNet, TestNet and MainNet through Canton's weekly upgrades, 24/7.

The institution or app provider files its own applications for network approval, from the Canton Foundation's validator approval to Featured App status, which makes an app eligible for app rewards. Its parties (Canton's on-ledger identities, much like accounts) sign with keys in its own KMS or external signer.

Canton's validator software gets a backward-compatible upgrade every Monday; the rules, counts and listings on this page are given as of 18 October 2026.

The parts of a Canton deployment, from your systems to the network

Your systems and the Daml application sit on top, the node with its keys and traffic is what gets operated, and the synchronizer and EVM routes are shared.

01

Your systems

Core ledger, order management, custody and identity, reaching Canton through one integration service.
02

Integration service

Submits commands and reads contracts through the participant's Ledger API, and queries contract state in SQL through the Participant Query Store (PQS).
03

Daml application

Templates and choices whose signatories and observers set who authorizes each step and who sees it; assets follow CIP-56, the token standard adopted through a Canton Improvement Proposal (CIP).
04

Participant and validator node

Hosts your parties, receives and stores only the data relevant to them, and connects to the synchronizer; operated for you or rented from an approved node operator.
05

Keys and traffic

Node and party keys in a KMS or with an external signer, and Canton Coin burned to buy traffic beyond the free allowance.
06

Global Synchronizer

The ordering and mediation service run on 13 Super Validator nodes, whose operators also vote on network changes and sponsor new validators; a dedicated synchronizer can run beside it.
07

EVM routes

LayerZero, Chainlink CCIP lanes to Ethereum and Base, Chainlink data feeds, and Circle's xReserve for USDCx.
01

Which pieces make up Canton Network development, from Daml contracts to EVM links?

Each part can be taken on its own: a team with Daml developers can hand us only the nodes, and a team that rents its node only the application.

We write the Daml model of your workflow: templates, the choices that move it forward, and the signatories and observers that decide who must authorize each step and who sees it. Daml is, in Canton's words, "a functional smart contract language with a strong type system, built-in authorization model, and privacy controls". The model decides what each counterparty's node receives, because Canton distributes state and transactions only to the nodes the contracts specify.

How that need-to-know model compares with private validiums, FHE tokens and shielded pools, and who can grant an auditor access in each, is covered in our onchain privacy for institutions guide.

Every template ships with tests in Daml Script, "the primary testing tool for Daml contracts", which runs each scenario on a fresh ledger. Where it fits, we start from Digital Asset's cn-quickstart reference application, with its Java backend and React frontend.

Later changes to your packages go through Smart Contract Upgrade, the Canton 3 upgrade model. Existing Daml 2 code is ported first, because a Canton 3 node does not run Daml 2 packages.

02

Should you run your own validator or rent one from a node operator?

Both routes reach MainNet, and we build for either. The Canton Foundation calls a white-label node from an approved Node-as-a-Service operator "the fastest way to participate", while your own validator keeps your parties' contract data on infrastructure you control.

A white-label node from an approved operator
Your own validator, run by Protofire
Who applies
The operator already holds its approval; you contract with one of the 50 providers the Foundation lists
You apply as your own operator, name a Super Validator sponsor and say why you prefer this to an existing operator; the application is published on a public mailing list and reviewed in about two weeks
Where contract data sits
On the operator's participant node
On a node in your own cloud account
Keys
Under the operator's multi-tenant key segregation, which must let you control your own keys through wallets or a KMS
In your KMS or with your external signer
Upgrades
On the operator's schedule
Weekly, taken on DevNet first and checked against your regression tests
Networks
Those the operator offers
DevNet, TestNet and MainNet, each with its own allowlisted IP
What we build
The Daml application, its integration and the EVM routes, against the operator's node
All of that, plus the nodes, their monitoring and the runbooks
03

Which institutions are on Canton, and at what stage?

This is a selection from the public record of Canton use on 18 October 2026, taken from company and Canton releases and, where named, press reports. Many of the largest names hold governance roles, as Foundation members or Super Validators, so live use and membership are listed separately.

01

Which institutions run Canton in production?

Broadridge's Distributed Ledger Repo processed $7.5 trillion of repo in September 2026. Broadridge's product page says DLR is "Built on Canton Technology", without saying whether it settles on the public Global Synchronizer. Circle's USDCx has been live since December 2025, and World Liberty Financial's USD1 launched natively on Canton on 25 August 2026, as Cointelegraph reported. Hashnote, now part of Circle, brought its USYC fund to Canton in October 2024, and Franklin Templeton expanded its Benji platform there in November 2025.

02

Which institutions have run first trades or limited production?

DTCC ran production trades of DTC-tokenized assets on Canton and Besu on 15 July 2026, with more than 30 firms taking part, and plans to launch its Tokenization Service in October 2026. We found no launch announcement by 18 October. On 1 July 2026 Tradeweb announced that Franklin Templeton had transferred a tokenized US Treasury security to Virtu Financial for USDCx on its platform. On 13 October 2026 Derivnex announced what it calls the first OTC swap on Canton, a total return swap with DRW as counterparty and Marex as swap provider.

03

Which institutions have only announced Canton plans?

Digital Asset and Kinexys by J.P. Morgan announced plans on 7 January 2026 to issue JPM Coin (JPMD) natively on Canton in phases through 2026, and we found no confirmation of live issuance. Société Générale-FORGE said in May 2026 that it will bring its EURCV and USDCV stablecoins to Canton for non-US persons. Visa said in March 2026 that it would work with institutions to bring Canton into production, and on 29 April 2026 it added Canton to its stablecoin settlement pilot, which now supports nine blockchains.

04

Which institutions hold governance roles or membership?

The Canton Foundation lists 56 Super Validators, among them DTCC, Nasdaq, Visa, Franklin Templeton and Circle, and Société Générale and LSEG were approved as Super Validators in 2026. Most Super Validators earn reward weight through another operator's node. The Foundation's Premier members include BNP Paribas, BNY, DTCC, Euroclear, Goldman Sachs DAP and HSBC.

04

Is Canton the right network for this product?

Canton's documentation points to Canton where counterparties should not see each other's positions, as in syndicated loans or trade finance, and for tokenized regulated assets such as securities. It points away from Canton where a product must be fully public, anonymous or EVM-interoperable.

Our guide to institutional blockchains compares Canton with the other networks institutions choose. A bank weighing a deposit token can build it on Canton or an EVM chain through our tokenized deposits work; JPMD's announced Canton issuance sits beside the other bank programs in the tokenized deposits vs stablecoins guide.

An asset manager deciding who should tokenize a fund, and on which network, can compare the platforms in our fund tokenization providers guide. Permissioned tokens on public EVM chains, with ERC-3643 identity checks, are on enterprise blockchain development, and a bank's wider digital-asset program starts from banks and credit institutions.

05

How does a Canton application reach MainNet?

1

How do you model a Canton application on LocalNet?

We model the workflow in Daml with your operations and legal owners, test it with Daml Script and run it end to end on LocalNet, Canton's multi-validator network in Docker. Deliverables: the Daml model and its tests, the party and node design, and the integration design for your systems.
2

How do you test it with counterparties on DevNet?

We stand up your DevNet validator, or connect to an operator's, once the Super Validators have allowlisted its egress IP, and run multi-party workflows against your counterparties' test nodes. DevNet resets every three months, so test data is scripted to be rebuilt. Deliverable: the application passing end-to-end tests on the shared network through its weekly upgrades.
3

How do you get validator approval and reach TestNet?

TestNet admits only validators that the Foundation's Tokenomics Committee has approved for MainNet, so a validator request of your own goes in during the DevNet work. On TestNet we run the full regression suite, and Canton's promotion checklist asks for at least one weekly upgrade cycle there before MainNet. Deliverables: the technical answers for your validator request, incident runbooks and a traffic budget.
4

How do you go live on Canton MainNet?

MainNet "never gets reset", so the first DAR deployment is agreed with your counterparties, and real Canton Coin funds the traffic, with automatic top-up and budget alerts in place. Deliverable: the application in production, with nodes kept on all three networks.
5

How do you run the deployment and hand it over?

We operate the nodes and the application, take every weekly, model and protocol upgrade, and log each change. The Daml packages, Helm values and runbooks go into your source control as we write them, and the application, the nodes or both can move to your team whenever you choose. Deliverable: a Canton deployment that stays current with the network.
06

Which Protofire work does a Canton deployment draw on?

The node work draws on infrastructure we already run: the Glif public RPC endpoint and the Filecoin nodes behind it, which we built and operate. We have also operated validators and other node types on networks including Avalanche, Secret Network and Lava Network.

The EVM end of a Canton route builds on our Chainlink node and External Adapter work, and the Solidity we deploy there is checked with Solhint, the open-source linter we maintain.

“DevNet always takes a new release before TestNet and MainNet, so we run your application on all three networks and take every upgrade on DevNet first.”

Node operations we run and Chainlink tooling we built
10M+requests a day served by the Glif endpoint we operate

For the node layer: Protofire operates the public and dedicated Filecoin nodes that serve the Glif endpoint and the proxy in front of them, and owns their monitoring. A Canton validator gets the same model: an owner for every incident and upgrades taken on schedule.

FilecoinView project →
5chains with Protofire-built Chainlink node deployment repositories

For the EVM end: under Chainlink Community Grants, Protofire built node deployment repositories for five chains (Gnosis Chain, Avalanche, Harmony, Plasm and Celo) and dozens of External Adapters, and ran integration tests across 9 EVM networks.

ChainlinkView project →

FAQ

What is Canton Network development?
Canton Network development is the engineering that runs an institution's workflow on Canton, a public layer 1 built for privacy-preserving transactions. It covers Daml contracts, the integration between a participant node's Ledger API and the institution's systems, the validator node on DevNet, TestNet and MainNet, and links to EVM chains through LayerZero, Chainlink CCIP or an asset's own bridge. Protofire builds and operates each of those parts, separately or together.
What is Daml?
Daml is the language Canton contracts are written in, which Canton's documentation calls "a functional smart contract language with a strong type system, built-in authorization model, and privacy controls". A Daml contract is created from a template that names its signatories, who must authorize it, its observers, who can see it, and its choices, the actions its controllers can exercise on it. Digital Asset publishes Daml and Canton under the Apache 2.0 license.
Can Canton run Solidity or EVM contracts?
Canton does not run Solidity or EVM contracts natively: its documentation lists "EVM interoperability required" among the cases it suits less well, because "Canton does not natively interoperate with Ethereum smart contracts". Zenith, a Super Validator, is building an EVM execution layer for Canton, which was on testnet on 18 October 2026, and CIP-0086 approved work on an ERC-20-compatible API. Today, Solidity code stays on an EVM chain and reaches Canton over a cross-chain route.
How do you connect Canton to Ethereum or other EVM chains?
Canton connects to Ethereum and other EVM chains through the cross-chain protocols and asset bridges that were live on 18 October 2026. LayerZero's deployment registry lists an active Canton mainnet endpoint, after LayerZero announced the integration on 26 March 2026. Chainlink's CCIP directory shows two Canton lanes, to Ethereum and Base, and Chainlink's data feeds run on Canton. Circle's USDCx is minted on Canton against USDC deposited in xReserve on Ethereum. We pick the route by asset and chain pair and build both ends of it.
What is CIP-56?
CIP-56 is the Canton Network Token Standard, adopted through a Canton Improvement Proposal (CIP). It defines the Daml interfaces for holdings, transfer instructions and allocations that let wallets, custodians and applications hold and settle any token built to it. An allocation reserves assets for delivery-versus-payment, and all legs of a multi-leg settlement then execute atomically. Token Standard V2 (CIP-0112) was approved in June 2026, and the docs still call CIP-0056 "the current deployed standard".
What is Canton Coin?
Canton Coin (CC) is the Canton Network's utility token. Validators burn it to pay for traffic, as Canton calls transaction fees, beyond a free allowance. Since 30 April 2026 validators mint new CC only through activity rewards tied to the CC their users burn, and app rewards go to featured apps. BitGo, Fireblocks, Ledger and Ripple Custody support Canton Coin, and it is the fee token on Chainlink CCIP's Canton lanes. Its price was about $0.099 on 18 October 2026.
How do transaction fees work on Canton?
Transaction fees on Canton are charged as traffic, priced in US dollars and paid by burning Canton Coin (CC), the network's utility token. Each validator gets a free allowance that regenerates, 200,000 bytes per 20-minute window on MainNet on 18 October 2026, and then buys extra traffic at $60 per MB. The sending validator pays, and all parties hosted on one validator share its traffic balance. CIP-0078 removed fees on CC transfers in September 2025, while a holding fee per coin contract remains.
What does it take to run a Canton validator node?
Running a Canton validator node takes an approval, a Super Validator sponsor and production infrastructure. An institution that wants to be its own operator applies to the Canton Foundation, whose form asks for its Super Validator sponsor. For TestNet and MainNet, Canton recommends Kubernetes 1.27 or newer with Helm and an external PostgreSQL database in the same zone as the cluster. Its reference sizing is 2 CPUs and 8 GB of memory with a 10 GB database for a production validator with little activity, and 2 CPUs, 16 GB and a 100 GB database for an app provider with moderate activity. The other route is a white-label node from one of the 50 approved Node-as-a-Service providers.
How long does it take to join Canton MainNet?
How long it takes to join Canton MainNet as your own validator depends on the application's testing and on documented network steps. The Foundation's Tokenomics Committee reviews a validator application with a typical turnaround of about two weeks, and because TestNet admits only approved validators, the request can go in during the DevNet work. For each network, allowlisting your egress IP usually takes between 2 and 7 days, and on TestNet and MainNet your sponsor's one-time onboarding secret is valid for 48 hours. Canton's promotion checklist then asks for at least one weekly upgrade cycle on TestNet before MainNet. A white-label node from an approved operator needs no validator application of your own.
Do Canton validators earn rewards?
Canton validators no longer earn Canton Coin for uptime alone: under CIP-0096, those liveness rewards were phased down to $0, effective 30 April 2026. The tokenomics docs now call activity rewards, tied to the Canton Coin a validator's users burn, "the only validator minting mechanism". App rewards go only to featured apps. Featured status needs a Tokenomics Committee review, a Super Validator vote and, for an institutional app, at least two referrals from prospective customers. CIP-0116, approved on 20 May 2026, adds a lock of 5,000,000 CC per party, or 25,000,000 CC for asset issuers: about $0.5 million and $2.5 million at the Canton Coin price of about $0.099 on 18 October 2026. We plan a node's budget on its traffic costs.
Which institutions use Canton today?
Institutions using Canton in production on 18 October 2026 include Circle, whose USDCx has been live since December 2025, and Broadridge, whose Distributed Ledger Repo processed $7.5 trillion in September 2026. Broadridge says DLR is "Built on Canton Technology" without saying whether it settles on the public Global Synchronizer. DTCC ran limited production trades on Canton and Besu on 15 July 2026 and planned to launch its Tokenization Service in October 2026; no launch had been announced by 19 October. Visa, Nasdaq, Société Générale and Goldman Sachs DAP hold Super Validator or Foundation member roles. J.P. Morgan's JPMD deposit token is only announced for Canton: Digital Asset and Kinexys said in January 2026 that it would be issued natively there, with no live issuance confirmed by 18 October.
Is Canton a public or a permissioned network, and who governs it?
Canton is a public network whose validators need approval, and its Global Synchronizer is governed by its Super Validators and the Canton Foundation. Canton parties have identities, so anonymous participation is outside its design. Network changes go through Canton Improvement Proposals voted by the Super Validators, and the docs state that "No single entity, including the CF, can make unilateral changes." On 18 October 2026, 13 Super Validator nodes ran MainNet and 9 votes were needed for a decision. The Foundation was renamed from the Global Synchronizer Foundation on 22 September 2025. An organization that needs its own capacity can run a dedicated synchronizer, which keeps a persistent connection to the Global Synchronizer.
What does an institution's own team need to run Canton without a partner?
To run Canton without a partner, an institution's own team needs Daml developers and production experience with Kubernetes and PostgreSQL. Digital Asset trains and certifies developers through paths such as Daml Fundamentals and Daml Contract Developer. The work after the first application is steady: nodes on three networks, a Splice upgrade every Monday, Daml model and protocol upgrades every few months, traffic budgets and the EVM side of any cross-chain route. A partner fits when that calendar would fall on a team still learning Daml, or on one for which the EVM contracts are new as well. Protofire can then take a single layer, such as the Daml model or the nodes on all three networks, and your team keeps the rest.

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