Kraken's Ink Moves to Optimism's Fully Managed Stack
Ink is upgrading to OP Enterprise Fully Managed, letting Optimism run its infrastructure while the Ink Foundation focuses on ecosystem growth.
Ink, the Kraken-incubated 
Ethereum Layer 2 built on the OP Stack, is moving its production infrastructure to Optimism’s OP Enterprise Fully Managed under a multi-year agreement.
What’s the Scoop?
- The Deal:
Optimism will operate Ink’s production infrastructure, shifting the technical burden to them. In return, Optimism now wears the mantle of running the chain for one of the largest exchanges, a clear proof of concept as it continues to expand its OP Enterprise to other exchanges and fintechs. - Optimism’s Pivot: Optimism has spent 2026 refocusing around enterprise infrastructure, shedding its previous general-purpose nature, and betting that exchanges, fintechs, payment companies, and financial institutions increasingly want their own chains, but do not want to run blockchain infrastructure themselves.
- The Roadmap:
Ink will also serve as a design partner for OP Enterprise as Optimism builds out features including programmable block building, one-day withdrawals to Ethereum, sequencer-level compliance tooling, higher throughput, and lower block times. In plain English, that means faster chains with more control over how transactions are ordered, screened, and settled.
David Christopher
David is a writer/analyst at Bankless. Prior to joining Bankless, he worked for a series of early-stage crypto startups and on grants from the Ethereum, Solana, and Urbit Foundations. He graduated from Skidmore College in New York. He currently lives in the Midwest and enjoys NFTs, but no longer participates in them.
