Celo was created to enable real-world uses cases on Ethereum. Whether you’re building your first dApp or looking to integrate an existing protocol onto Celo, we have all the resources and tools you need to get started.

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Why Build on Celo?

  • EVM Compatibile: Celo is fully EVM-compatible, offering the same development experience as Ethereum with improved scalability and lower costs.
  • Fast Transactions: After the migrations to an L2 Celo now has a 1-second block finality compared to formerly 5 seconds.
  • Easy, Low-Cost Payments: Celo’s seamless payment infrastructure, including Fee Abstraction, sub-cent fees, and native stablecoins, enables simple and affordable transactions.
  • Global Reach: Celo provides access to more than 8 million real-world users with some dApps having more than 200,000 DAUs.

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Getting Started

Quickstart

Quickstart with Celo Composer CLI

Deploy on Celo

Deploy a smart contract on Celo

Faucet

Receive testnet funds

Tooling

Explore developer tooling

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Celo L2 Mainnet

Celo has transitioned from a standalone EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain to an Ethereum Layer 2. This shift, proposed by cLabs in July 2023, aims to maintain the seamless user experience that Celo is known for—characterized by speed, low costs, and ease of use—while leveraging Ethereum’s security and ecosystem.

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What does this mean for our ecosystem?

Celo’s evolution from an L1 EVM-compatible chain to an L2 solution marks a significant milestone in our ongoing relationship with the Ethereum ecosystem. As an L1 chain, Celo has always maintained close ties with Ethereum, sharing its commitment to decentralization, security, and innovation. By transitioning to an L2, Celo strengthens this bond, allowing our developers and protocols to immerse themselves even deeper into the vibrant, collaborative Ethereum community. This integration enhances opportunities for open-source contributions, joint initiatives, and the development of public goods, ensuring that Celo’s impact resonates widely across the blockchain space.

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Important Dates

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Early July, 2024: Dango L2 Testnet Launch

The Dango Testnet announced on the 7th of July 2024, Celo’s first L2 public test network, went live. Dango allowed developers and infrastructure providers to familiarize themselves with the L2 environment. It was shut down on the 9th of October 2024.

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26th September, 2024: Alfajores L2 Testnet Launch

The Celo L2 testnet, Alfajores, went live! This provides a testing environment for node operators and developers to ensure compatibility before the Mainnet launch.

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October 2024: Code Freeze and Audits

The core dev team froze all feature development by mid-October and underwent a thorough external audit. The result is available at https://celo.org/audits.

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20th February, 2025: Baklava L2 Testnet Launch

Using the final audited release, the Celo validator community performed a dry run of the L2 upgrade on the Baklava network.

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26th March, 2025: Celo L2 Mainnet Launch

Following a successful Baklava upgrade, the Celo L2 Mainnet officially went live.