Meet Mark Smargon, CEO and Founder at Layer 2 Blockchain: Fuse

Tell us about Fuse

Fuse is a Layer 2 blockchain that is designed to make building and integrating financial products and services simpler, more efficient and accessible, particularly for small businesses and emerging markets.

We have created a modular, open-stack ecosystem with a focus on financial inclusion and Web3 payments. By leveraging blockchain technology, Fuse streamlines transactions, operations and reduces costs. Our goal is to give businesses the tools and infrastructure they need to integrate Web3 financial models via a scalable, modular and secure platform for the evolving digital economy.

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

Fuse was born from my realisation that the future of commerce is moving online. I’ve been building internet-based companies since I was 14, and throughout my career, I’ve seen how fragmented and inefficient traditional payment systems still are. This problem is only compounded for small businesses and underserved markets.

The high costs and barriers to entry were clear challenges, so I wanted to build a decentralised system that could solve these issues and promote financial inclusion on a global scale.

How has the company evolved over the last couple of years?

Over the last few years, Fuse has grown significantly. We’ve expanded our platform to support a wide range of decentralised finance (DeFi) applications, and we’re constantly upgrading our infrastructure to stay ahead of the curve. This year marks our 5th anniversary, and we’ve just launched the Fuse Ember mainnet, which is our new zkEVM Layer 2 blockchain.

We’re also evolving our token model to a deflationary system with a capped supply, which will help stabilize the economy within the Fuse ecosystem. Our partnership with Polygon CDK has enhanced interoperability, allowing us to offer even more value to businesses using our platform.

What can we hope to see from Fuse in the future?

An integration with AggLayer will enhance cross-chain bridging, while a decentralised sequencer community pilot is on the horizon. We’re also launching a testnet to rigorously stress-test the network before deploying it to mainnet. By Q1 2025, you can expect to see yield-generating products like liquid staking tokens and real-world assets integrated into the platform.

Our focus continues to be on improving security, enhancing interoperability, and delivering a seamless user experience—think Stripe-like functionality that works everywhere with just a phone and an internet connection. We’re committed to making decentralised finance more accessible, especially for small businesses, by enabling them to operate on web3 infrastructure without sacrificing the familiarity of traditional web2 workflows.