Is The EVM In Trouble?! With Matt Katz of Caldera

altVMs vs. EVM.

Welcome to the VM Wars era. As of recently, the altVM mindshare has been growing significantly.

David, Dino, and Rushi had a chance to chat with Matt, Caldera’s co-founder and CEO, about how their RaaS is helping projects scale efficiently by launching customizable L2s and L3s.

Matt explained how the idea for Caldera began with the realization that blockchains needed more scalable infrastructure. With early support from the modular movement, Caldera set out to address these challenges, offering roll-ups that are secure, customizable, and easy to deploy. It’s no surprise that names like Manta, Rarible, and Kinto are already leveraging their solutions.

One of the most interesting insights was Caldera’s decision to start with the EVM. Matt pointed out that it wasn’t just about scalability; it was about tapping into a well-established ecosystem of developers, tools, and wallets that make integrating and building easier. While they’ve stuck with EVM, they’re open to exploring other VMs, depending on project needs.

Another highlight from the conversation was the growing need for interoperability. Caldera is actively working on designs to ensure smoother interop between different roll-up clusters, like ZK Sync and Orbit, without compromising on performance or user experience. Plus, Matt shared his thoughts on L2 vs. L3 vs. L1 debates, offering a pragmatic take on why projects may prefer sticking to L2s for now.

The future of altVMs is coming quickly, with a long ways to go.

Let's see.