Espresso Systems is addressing the challenges of rollup fragmentation and centralized sequencing through its decentralized shared sequencer. The Espresso Network acts as a confirmation layer, providing rapid confirmations and cross-chain composability for multiple Layer 2 solutions, and supports Presto for one-click cross-chain transactions. Founded in 2022 by Ben Fisch, Jill Gunter, Benedikt Bünz, and Charles Lu, the project has raised $60 million in two funding rounds, with backing from Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase Ventures. It has integrated with over 20 chains, including ApeChain, RARI Chain, Celo, Cartesi, and Polygon AggLayer. Despite facing competition in the shared sequencing space and uncertainties regarding large rollup adoption, Espresso Systems aims to achieve sub-second finality by 2026, currently advancing its ecosystem through testnets and developer incentives.