Why Rome?

Several projects bring EVM compatibility to Solana. Rome takes a fundamentally different approach.

Core Differentiators

1. Atomic Composability via CPI

Rome is the only EVM environment where Solidity contracts can call Solana programs within the same transaction. A single Solidity function can:

// All in one atomic transaction:
int256 price = IPyth(PYTH).getPrice("SOL/USD");        // Read Pyth oracle
uint256 quote = IJupiter(JUPITER).getQuote(USDC, SOL);  // Get Jupiter quote
IJupiter(JUPITER).swap(USDC, SOL, amount, minOut);       // Execute swap
IKamino(KAMINO).deposit(SOL, collateralAmount);          // Supply to Kamino

If any step fails, the entire transaction reverts. No partial execution, no race conditions.

2. Single State

On Rome, an SPL token and its ERC-20 representation are the same underlying account. When a Solidity contract transfers USDC, it's moving the actual SPL USDC — not a wrapped copy.

This means:

• No liquidity fragmentation — Solana DeFi and EVM DeFi share the same pools

• No bridging risk — there's no bridge to exploit because there's no bridge

• Real-time composability — EVM contracts see Solana state changes immediately

3. App Sovereignty

Each application on Rome gets its own EVM environment:

• Custom chain ID — your app is its own chain

• Custom gas token — any SPL token, priced via Meteora LP pool

• Gas revenue — fees accrue to your application, not Rome protocol

• Full EVM tooling — your users connect MetaMask, your devs use Hardhat

4. Token-2022 Transfer Hooks in EVM

Rome is the only platform where EVM logic can power Token-2022 Transfer Hooks. When someone transfers a Token-2022 asset on Jupiter, Raydium, or any Solana DEX, a Solidity compliance contract can execute as the transfer hook — KYC checks, sanctions screening, royalty enforcement, all in Solidity.

When to Use Rome

Use Rome when:

• You want EVM contracts with direct access to Solana DeFi (Jupiter, Kamino, Drift, Meteora)

• You're building compliance infrastructure for SPL tokens (Token-2022 hooks)

• You want a sovereign EVM chain on Solana with your own gas token

• You're porting Ethereum contracts that need Solana's speed and liquidity

• You need atomic operations across EVM and Solana programs

Consider alternatives when:

• You only need standard Solana programs (use native Solana/Anchor)

• You need Ethereum mainnet settlement (use a traditional L2)

• You need cross-chain messaging without EVM execution (use Wormhole/Hyperlane directly)

What's Next

• Architecture — how Rome EVM works inside Solana

• Quickstart — deploy your first contract