An EVM and WASM compatible Kusama parachain and Astar’s canary network, Shiden features dApp staking and XCM-powered cross-chain interoperability for multi-chain dApps.
Shiden Network is Astar’s Kusama-based mainnet (native currency: SDN) that supports both EVM and WASM smart contracts and acts as Astar’s production canary. Core use cases include deploying and iterating DeFi, NFT/GameFi, and cross-chain dApps that tap Kusama/Polkadot liquidity via XCM and bridges, plus builder funding through dApp staking. Typical performance is low-cost (often sub‑cent fees in SDN), ~12‑second block times, and tens‑to‑hundreds of TPS; check the Shiden explorer for live fees, TPS, and activity.
Shiden is distinguished by dApp Staking, which routes a portion of block rewards to applications and their stakers, creating sustainable on-chain incentives uncommon among L1s. It also offers dual-VM compatibility (EVM + WASM) with native XCM interoperability, so Solidity and ink! contracts can compose across Kusama with low fees and fast inclusion (~12s), delivering multichain flexibility and performance beyond single‑VM or siloed networks.
Shiden uses SDN as the gas token for transaction fees. You can obtain SDN by bridging from other chains or purchasing using thirdweb Bridge.
To bridge SDN to Shiden, connect your wallet to thirdweb bridge, select your source chain, choose the token you want to bridge, select Shiden as the destination, enter the amount, and confirm the transaction. The bridge will handle the cross-chain transfer instantly.
To build on Shiden you can use thirdweb, which provides an easy way to build, monetize and scale your apps, games or agents. You can find detailed guides and documentation on https://portal.thirdweb.com to get started quickly.
To add Shiden to your wallet, you can connect your wallet and click on [Add to Wallet] button at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can add the network manually using the RPC URL and chain details and add it to your wallet's network settings.
To send SDN on Shiden, ensure your wallet is connected to the Shiden network, enter the recipient's address, specify the amount of SDN to send, review the gas fee, and confirm the transaction in your wallet.