Raiden Network (RDN): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Off-chain payment channel network; an infrastructure layer on top of Ethereum
- Risks and caveats
- Raiden calls itself work in progress; the roadmap gives no guarantee of future development.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
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Key facts
- Ticker
- RDN
- Official site
- raiden.network
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is Raiden Network
The Raiden Network is an off-chain scaling layer for Ethereum that sends ERC-20 token transfers through a network of payment channels instead of putting every transfer on-chain. RDN is the token used to pay for peripheral services in the network and to vote in Raiden community governance.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Off-chain payment channel network; an infrastructure layer on top of Ethereum |
| How it works | Transfers go through a network of payment channels without involving the blockchain for every transfer. |
| Assets | Works with any ERC-20 compatible token |
| Runs on | Ethereum mainnet and Arbitrum (since May 2022) |
| Mainnet release | Client and smart contracts released for mainnet with the Alderaan release in May 2020 |
What RDN is used for
- RDN pays for peripheral services in the Raiden Network; it is not at the core of the protocol.
- RDN holders can create formal governance proposals and vote on Snapshot.
- Raiden Trust grants and bug bounty rewards are paid in RDN.
Who develops and governs Raiden Network
- Developer
- Developed by brainbot (brainbot labs Est.)
- Company
- The project is led by brainbot labs Est.
- Foundation
- The Raiden Trust, an independent non-profit, funds grants; in March 2023 it held RDN 16 million.
- Governance
- Community governance from September 2022: forum proposals and RDN-holder votes on Snapshot; the Raiden Trust and brainbot labs do not vote.
- Open source
- Source code on GitHub (raiden-network)
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 6 August 2016 | First proof-of-concept release (PoC-0) published on GitHub. |
| 1 December 2017 | µRaiden, a many-to-one payment channel framework, went live on Ethereum mainnet. |
| May 2020 | Raiden client and smart contracts released for mainnet (Alderaan release). |
| 23 December 2021 | Raiden v3.0.0 'Coruscant' released; the team says the original project scope was then fully implemented. |
| May 2022 | Raiden launched on Arbitrum to lower setup costs. |
| 15 September 2022 | Raiden introduced community governance with forum proposals and RDN-holder voting. |
| 3 March 2023 | The Raiden Trust relaunched its grants program for projects building on Raiden. |
Security and audits
- A bug bounty pool worth $200,000 in RDN covers critical vulnerabilities; the Matrix transport servers are out of scope.
- The Raiden Light Client dApp is a beta release; users are told to read the security notes first.
Security incidents
No security incident is recorded in the sources checked on 31 October 2026 (the company’s own channels and incident databases): defillama.com/hacks, hacked.slowmist.io/search, rekt.news/leaderboard, medium.com/feed/raiden-network, github.com/raiden-network/raiden, raiden.network/bug-bounty.html
Risks and caveats
- Raiden calls itself work in progress; the roadmap gives no guarantee of future development.
- The latest GitHub release of the Python client is v3.0.1 from 13 January 2022.
- The Light Client dApp is a beta release with known limitations.
- RDN is not needed to use the core protocol; it pays only for optional peripheral services.
Official links
- Website: raiden.network
- Docs: docs.raiden.network
- Source code: github.com/raiden-network/raiden
- Blog: medium.com/raiden-network
Questions and answers
What is the Raiden Network?
An off-chain scaling layer for Ethereum that moves ERC-20 token transfers into a network of payment channels, for near-instant, low-fee payments.
What is RDN used for?
RDN pays for optional peripheral services in the network and lets holders create proposals and vote in Raiden community governance; Raiden Trust grants are paid in RDN.
Who created the Raiden Network?
Raiden is developed by brainbot (brainbot labs Est.); the non-profit Raiden Trust funds ecosystem grants.
Is the Raiden Network live?
Yes. Client and contracts were released for Ethereum mainnet in May 2020 (Alderaan) and Raiden runs on Arbitrum since May 2022; the latest client release on GitHub is v3.0.1 of 13 January 2022.
Sources
- Raiden Network — home page
- Raiden Network — FAQ
- Raiden Network — Roadmap
- Raiden Network — Bug Bounty
- Raiden Network — GitHub README
- Raiden Network — GitHub releases
- Raiden Network Blog — Raiden Community Governance
- Raiden Network Blog — Raiden Pulse #21
- Raiden Network Blog — Relaunching Raiden Trust Grants
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