Interoperability is crucial for Ethereum’s future, particularly as the ecosystem expands through multiple Layer 2 (L2) solutions. The rapid proliferation of L2s, which aim to improve scalability, choice, and reduce transaction costs, has introduced a complex landscape of isolated chains. This fragmentation can hinder the seamless flow of assets and data between different L2s and Ethereum’s mainnet, creating a significant barrier to user experience and developer efficiency.

A New Chapter with Axelar

OpenZeppelin and Interop Labs are joining forces to develop essential developer resources and open-source standards for cross-chain communication on Ethereum. This collaboration represents a significant step towards solving these issues by providing standardized and secure cross-chain messaging solutions. This effort will empower developers to create more sophisticated and interconnected applications, thereby enriching the Ethereum ecosystem and driving its continued growth. As Ethereum scales, such interoperability solutions will be critical to maintaining a cohesive and efficient onchain ecosystem.

Addressing these interoperability challenges is vital for the Ethereum ecosystem to fully leverage the benefits of a multichain approach. As more applications and users spread across L1s and L2s, the ability to seamlessly interact and transact across different chains becomes essential. Enhancing cross-chain communication, especially between EVM-compatible chains, is not only about maintaining the fluidity of assets and data but also about ensuring security and trust across the ecosystem.

About Axelar

Axelar is the Web3 interoperability platform, delivering an open stack to connect any blockchain. Axelar supports smart contracts and arbitrary messages on a cross-chain layer that is programmable, scalable and secure. Interop Labs is the initial developer of Axelar. 

Building the Future of Cross-Chain Communication

Together, OpenZeppelin and Interop Labs will create a dedicated Solidity library that integrates Axelar into the OpenZeppelin Contracts Library, along with associated tooling to support cross-chain interoperability. As the collaboration progresses, our teams will work on additional libraries and Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), aiming to create standards that are broadly adopted across multiple protocols, beyond the Axelar ecosystem. 

Our shared goal is to create public goods that leverage the reach of the OpenZeppelin Contracts library to progressively enhance the interoperability and functionality of blockchain applications. The OpenZeppelin Contracts library, which has facilitated over $6 trillion in total value transferred, serves as a key platform for developer acquisition and ecosystem growth for Axelar.

The integration will also be reflected in our Contracts Wizard, enabling developers to easily incorporate cross-chain functionalities into their projects by importing CrossChainEnabledAxelar.
^{Illustrative example of OpenZeppelin Contracts Wizard for the Axelar Cross-Chain Integration.}

Aligning with Broader Ethereum Community Efforts

In line with recent tweets from Vitalik Buterin (Co-Founder of Ethereum), the Ethereum community is demonstrating a shared focus on demonstrating a shared focus on solving cross-L2 interoperability challenges. There are several ongoing initiatives that aim to enhance user experience across the entire Ethereum ecosystem, such as cross-L2 address systems (ERC-3770), cross-L2 sends via liquidity providers (ERC-7683), and the implementation of L2 light clients (ERC-3668). Additionally, the introduction of cross-L2 replayable account state updates will ensure a more seamless and consistent experience across various chains.

These community-driven initiatives align closely with our collaboration with Axelar, as we work toward providing standardized and secure cross-chain messaging solutions. Together, these efforts are laying the groundwork for a more interconnected and efficient multichain environment within Ethereum, ensuring that the ecosystem remains cohesive, user-friendly, and secure as it evolves.

Revisiting Cross-Chain Enablement

Previously, in version 4.x of OpenZeppelin Contracts, we introduced the CrossChainEnabled abstract contract to support multichain operations.

Although this feature was deprecated in Contracts 5.0 due to the rapidly evolving L2 ecosystem and numerous breaking changes, our new collaboration is revitalizing this approach. We are building on our past experiences to deliver a more robust and efficient solution for Ethereum developers that can support the broader L1 and L2 landscape.

Commitment to Security and Open Source

Security remains a cornerstone of our development process, and as part of this collaboration, we will manage a bug bounty and emergency response program for both the Cross-Chain Interface and the Axelar Integration to ensure our solutions are secure and resilient. Additionally, OpenZeppelin is committed to open-source development, with all deliverables from this collaboration being made publicly available under an open-source license, fostering transparency and encouraging community contributions.

Looking Ahead

Beyond the initiatives described, future phases will further expand and refine these capabilities, including more comprehensive integrations and support for additional token standards and existing library implementations. As Axelar continues to connect the Cosmos and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) ecosystems and expand to diverse consensus approaches like Bitcoin, Hedera, Polkadot, Solana, Stellar, and Sui, we are thrilled to embark on this journey with the Interop Labs team and the Axelar community. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to enhancing the Ethereum ecosystem and supporting the broader blockchain community by driving forward the capabilities of cross-chain messaging and interoperability.

Learn more about this collaboration by joining the YouTube Premiere on Thursday 22, 5 pm UTC