Injective (INJ) is a layer-one blockchain that aims to power the next generation of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. These applications may include decentralized spot and derivatives exchanges, prediction markets, and lending protocols. Injective strives to provide core financial infrastructure primitives that applications can leverage, such as a fully decentralized on-chain orderbook. It also aims to support all forms of financial markets, including spot, perpetual, futures, and options, all fully on-chain. The blockchain is compatible with Ethereum, IBC-enabled blockchains, and non-EVM chains like Solana. Injective is built with the Cosmos SDK and uses a Tendermint-based Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism, which allows for instant transaction finality and high performance.

Injective operates using a Tendermint-based Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, which provides instant transaction finality and the ability to sustain high performance. It also features a decentralized cross-chain bridging infrastructure, making it compatible with Ethereum, IBC-enabled blockchains, and non-EVM chains such as Solana. Injective's core exchange module aims to include an advanced on-chain order book and matching engine for spot, perpetual, futures, and options markets. It also aims to offer resistance to Miner-Extractable Value (MEV) through frequent batch auction order matching, and strives to have zero gas fees for users. Smart contracts are implemented on Injective through CosmWasm, allowing for multi-chain smart contract transactions to occur seamlessly.

Injective aims to provide a platform for a wide range of DeFi applications. It offers a robust infrastructure and financial primitives such as an on-chain orderbook, which can be leveraged to build decentralized spot and derivatives exchanges, prediction markets, lending protocols, and more. The INJ token, Injective's native utility token, is used across a diverse range of functions such as protocol governance, dApp value capture, PoS security, developer incentives, and staking. Injective also aims to support a diverse array of trading and yield generation activities across distinct layer-1 blockchain networks such as Cosmos and Ethereum.

Injective was developed by Injective Labs, a research and development company. The co-founder of Injective Labs, Eric Chen, has extensive knowledge about blockchain protocols and traditional finance. Albert Chon, the CTO of Injective Labs, is a Stanford University graduate and was a software development engineer at Amazon. He is known for pioneering a new Ethereum standard that is used by a number of major projects today. The Injective ecosystem aims to include over 100 projects and more than 150,000 community members globally. It is backed by a group of investors.