What Is Sei?

Sei is a layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for trading applications. Founded by Jeffrey Feng and Jayendra Jog, Sei launched its initial version in August 2023 and later introduced a parallelized EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) that can process multiple transactions simultaneously. Originally built on the Cosmos SDK, Sei is transitioning to an EVM-only architecture and is developing Sei Giga, a major upgrade aimed at institutional-grade throughput. Sei aims to provide the performance characteristics needed for institutional-grade decentralized exchanges and trading applications.

• Overview - Table of Contents
• What Is Sei?
• Getting Started With Sei
• How To Get A Sei Wallet?
• Sei Resources
• How To Buy SEI?
• Latest Sei News

Sei's core innovation is its parallelized EVM, which allows the network to process multiple independent transactions concurrently rather than sequentially. When transactions don't touch the same state (for example, trades on different trading pairs), they can be executed in parallel, dramatically increasing throughput. This makes Sei one of the fastest EVM-compatible chains, with theoretical throughput of thousands of transactions per second and finality in under 400 milliseconds.

The blockchain includes trading-specific optimizations built directly into the protocol layer, such as parallelization tuned to the access patterns common in trading applications and design choices that mitigate front-running and MEV (Maximal Extractable Value). Sei's original version included a native on-chain order matching engine; that legacy design has been superseded as the network standardized on the EVM.

Under the SIP-3 proposal, approved by the community in June 2025, Sei is transitioning to an EVM-only chain. New CosmWasm contract deployments were halted in May 2026 and the remaining Cosmos-native components are being phased out in stages, so any EVM dApp can deploy on Sei without modifications while benefiting from Sei's performance advantages. This EVM-only architecture means standard Ethereum tools like MetaMask, Hardhat, and Remix work with Sei, lowering the barrier for developers.

SEI is the native token of the Sei network, used for transaction fees, staking with validators to secure the network, and governance. Validators and delegators earn staking rewards for participating in consensus. The low transaction fees on Sei make it practical for high-frequency trading applications where cost per trade is a critical factor.

The Sei ecosystem includes DeFi protocols focused on trading, such as DragonSwap (DEX), Yaka Finance, and various perpetuals platforms. The network has also attracted NFT marketplaces and gaming applications that benefit from its fast finality and low fees.

Getting Started With Sei

Getting started with Sei:

1. Step 1: Add the Sei network to an EVM wallet such as MetaMask, Phantom, or Rabby.
2. Step 2: Acquire SEI from a cryptocurrency exchange.
3. Step 3: Transfer SEI to your wallet on the Sei network.
4. Step 4: Explore trading dApps, stake SEI with a validator, or participate in the DeFi ecosystem.

How to Get a Sei Wallet?

MetaMask

MetaMask works with Sei since the network is fully EVM-compatible. Add the Sei network through Chainlist and use it like any other EVM chain.

Phantom and Rabby

As Sei moves to an EVM-only architecture, any wallet that supports custom EVM networks can be used. Phantom and Rabby both support Sei alongside other EVM chains, providing alternatives to MetaMask for interacting with Sei dApps.

Hardware Wallets

Ledger hardware wallets support Sei through MetaMask, providing secure offline key storage.

Sei Resources

• Sei Official Website
• Sei GitHub
• Sei Documentation
• Seiscan Block Explorer
• Sei Blog
• Sei on X
• Sei Reddit
• Sei Discord

How to Buy SEI?

SEI is available on most major cryptocurrency exchanges:

Centralized Exchanges

SEI can be purchased on Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, OKX, and other major exchanges. Trading pairs include SEI/USDT and SEI/USD.

Decentralized Exchanges

On the Sei network, DragonSwap and other native DEXs allow you to swap tokens. SEI can also be found as a wrapped token on Ethereum DEXs.

Latest Sei News

Sei is in the final stages of its transition to an EVM-only chain under the SIP-3 proposal, which the community approved in June 2025. The rollout has been staged: the v6.4 upgrade in April 2026 added the protocol-level ability to disable inbound IBC transfers pending a governance vote, new CosmWasm contract deployments were halted in May 2026, and exchanges and custodians were given a June 15, 2026 deadline to migrate ahead of the deprecation of Cosmos-native functionality, with full completion targeted for mid-2026. Development focus has shifted to Sei Giga, a multi-proposer EVM layer-1 architecture using the Autobahn consensus protocol that targets around 200,000 transactions per second with sub-400-millisecond finality; its mainnet launch is expected next. Users of the Compass wallet should note that it shut down on May 28, 2026, so holdings should be managed with an EVM wallet such as MetaMask, Phantom, or Rabby instead.

Adoption news has also been notable. Wyoming selected Sei as a network for its state-issued stablecoin, an announcement that drove SEI up roughly 47%, and Kraken added support for native EVM USDC and USDT0 transfers on Sei.