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About Catalyst
Catalyst is a cross-chain liquidity protocol operating as an automated market maker (AMM) deployable on any blockchain. It uses a unified Liquidity Unit (UoL) as an abstract accounting standard to simplify asset valuation and exchange across different chains. Its message aggregator integrates protocols like IBC, Wormhole, and Polymer, enabling seamless interoperability between heterogeneous networks such as EVM, Cosmos, and Layer 2s.
Core strengths include permissionless pool creation, allowing any chain to bootstrap liquidity without approval, and rapid integration of new chains—reportedly 10-50 times faster than competing bridges. This design addresses the fragmentation of multi-chain liquidity and the complexity of cross-chain operations, where users previously had to manage multiple bridges, DEXs, and gas tokens. Catalyst solves this by abstracting the process into a single, efficient swap.
In the past six months (March to September 2026), Catalyst has gained significant traction. It became the top bridge for EVM L2s and Ethereum mainnet, leading in trading volume across 7 of the top 10 destination chains, with over $4.2 billion processed. It was also recognized as a leading cross-chain tool in 2026, praised for its efficiency and user experience. However, the protocol faces intense competition from established players like Across, cBridge, and Relay, and its long-term adoption depends on the continued growth of the modular blockchain ecosystem it serves.
Catalyst, a cross-chain liquidity protocol, was founded to address interoperability challenges in the modular ecosystem. In May 2024, it secured $4.2 million in funding led by SpartanGroup, with participation from Foresight Ventures, Robot Ventures, Maven11, Alchemy Ventures, HashKey Capital, Circle Ventures, Superscrypt, and angel investors including Calvin Liu, Aditi Sriram, and David Phelps. This capital supported the development of its cross-chain AMM and 'Unit of Liquidity' concept. Later, Catalyst was acquired by LI.FI, a move that integrated its intent-driven trading and cross-chain liquidity solutions into LI.FI's platform, marking a significant consolidation in the interoperability sector. These milestones highlight Catalyst's trajectory from a funded startup to a key component of a major aggregation platform.
Catalyst (Jumper) has delivered major milestones in the past six months. In February 2026, it acquired Catalyst, an intent-based cross-chain liquidity protocol, integrating its solver infrastructure to enhance execution efficiency. By March, the platform completed its brand migration to jumper.xyz, unifying its identity. In April, it integrated Mayan 2.0, adding an intent-based execution engine for faster cross-chain swaps, and expanded Jumper Earn to support wstETH deposits via Chainlink CCIP. Notably, $35M flowed into Polygon through Jumper in a single week, reflecting growing demand for cross-chain access to DeFi apps. Monthly volume reached $1.2B in April, with large trades (>$100k) accounting for 55% of volume, indicating institutional adoption.
Looking ahead, Catalyst's roadmap focuses on deepening solver aggregation, expanding intent-based routing across more chains, and scaling Jumper Earn with additional yield-bearing assets. The team plans to enhance developer tools for composable cross-chain transactions and strengthen partnerships to drive institutional liquidity. Emphasis remains on improving capital efficiency, reducing slippage, and delivering seamless one-click cross-chain experiences.
Jim Chang (Co-founder)
Co-founder of Catalyst (cross-chain liquidity protocol, acquired by LI.FI, now LI.FI Intents). Previously Product Manager at Aave, Product Manager & Chief of Staff at Ripple, Business Analyst at McKinsey. Graduated from Northwestern University. Twitter: @jimchang