Tldr; Optimism is adopting ERC-7683, the cross-chain intents standard co-authored by Across and Uniswap Labs, to enable high-speed ETH and USDC transfers on the Superchain and further facilitate its app layer interop for broader Ethereum.
Key takeaways:
Optimism is doubling down on ERC-7683 to bring users a unified Ethereum experience.
Across is a Day One bridge to the Superchain. Optimism has integrated Across’ intents-based bridging solution to power fast bridging functionality within the Superchain bridge interfaces via Superbridge and Brid.gg.
Optimism’s ERC-7683 adoption aligns with Vitalik’s vision for Ethereum’s future, addressing fragmentation issues within and beyond the Superchain ecosystem.
Across and Uniswap Labs co-authored ERC-7683 to establish a unified framework for cross-chain intents, solving multi-chain fragmentation.
The cross-chain ecosystem is expanding and intents are making seamless interoperability a reality today. In this landscape, ERC-7683, the cross-chain intents standard co-authored by Across and Uniswap Labs, is emerging as a key solution to address multi-chain fragmentation.
Optimism also plays a key role in the cross-chain ecosystem’s development. Optimism built OP Mainnet, one of Ethereum’s top Layer 2 rollups, and its OP Stack framework has helped many new chains emerge. These chains include the likes of Base and Mode and form the Superchain ecosystem.
Optimism is setting out to unify the Superchain, enabling users, assets, and developers to flow seamlessly across the network and beyond. To achieve this, Native Interoperability will be added to the OP Stack to enable protocol level interop. Additionally, open-source standard interfaces will be leveraged to facilitate app layer interop.
Native Interop will enable secure, rapid cross-chain communication through multi-chain fault proofs, enhancing efficiency without compromising security. While this native standard will offer fast and secure message and asset transfer across the Superchain, it requires a solution like intents to unlock true interoperability for a unified Ethereum.
Synergies between intents and Native Interoperability
Intents-based systems are layered on top of this architecture, enhancing the Superchain’s Native Interop in several ways:
Reducing risk for end users by shifting equivocation risk to sophisticated third parties (fillers).
Simplifying the UX of moving between the Superchain and other ecosystems.
Extending Superchain Native Interop, unlocking true interoperability within the entire Ethereum ecosystem.
Additionally, Native Interop improves the economics, latency, and security of intents-based systems by enabling new, faster settlement pathways. This in turn reduces filler operational costs, leading to lower costs for end users and developers. This synergy between Native Interop and intents creates a fast, safe, low-cost, and flexible interoperability solution that boosts the Superchain ecosystem, potentially reducing filler loan times from 90 minutes to under 10 minutes.
The power of intents
Optimism is leveraging Across’ technology as part of its strategy for fast bridge transfers for $ETH and $USDC. Across consistently ranks as the cheapest, fastest Layer 2 bridge thanks to its intents-based design.
In fact, we prefer to refer to Across as an “intents-based system.” This is not just another bridge—it’s the leading intents-based interoperability solution and its recent updates offer users and developers seamless cross-chain experiences.
Intents are emerging as a new standard for interop and Optimism is the latest heavyweight to double down.
We’ve long believed that intents are the key to solving cross-chain interoperability. It’s a view we held when Across emerged back in late 2021 to offer users fast, cheap transfers. Our thesis has become more widely accepted as the protocol and the ecosystem at large has evolved.
The ERC-7683 standard—a unified standard for cross-chain intents proposed by Across and Uniswap Labs.
In recent months, it’s become clear that many other key players in the Ethereum ecosystem share our belief in the power of intents. Uniswap Labs created ERC-7683 with Across to establish a unified standard for cross-chain intents and Vitalik has been one of this standard’s most vocal proponents. The industry is adopting intents as an emerging standard and Optimism is the latest heavyweight to double down.
ERC-7683 and the Superchain ecosystem
If crypto is to achieve its full potential, it needs seamless cross-chain interoperability. Like Ethereum itself, Optimism has been focused on accelerating interoperability on Layer 2 and beyond.
ERC-7683 offers a crucial unlock for cross-chain interoperability.
ERC-7683 offers a crucial unlock for cross-chain interoperability by establishing a standard for cross-chain intents systems. The standard allows protocols to tap into a unified filler network, improving efficiency and UX for end users.
The standard enables low-latency, low-cost cross-chain transfers, leveraging a filler network to fulfill users’ intents. With a pool of fillers, latency and costs are reduced because fillers compete to fill orders and they operate with greater capital efficiency. Intents are extremely fast and cost-efficient because fillers assume finality risk, enabling near-instant transactions, while recycling capital rapidly to offer users minimal fees.
Brid.gg and Superbridge users can now use Across’ intents-based bridging solution to make high-speed transfers across the Superchain (Source: Brid.gg, Superbridge)
While ERC-7683 provides a standard for cross-chain intents, Optimism is leveraging Across’ existing intents-based bridging solution to enable faster and cheaper transfers across the Superchain. The Superchain bridge interfaces Brid.gg and Superbridge have integrated Across to offer users high-speed transfers between chains in the Superchain network.
Intra-Superchain interop is live
Across is the Superchain Bridge’s first intents-based interface integration to go live, giving users greater choice and faster transfers. Previously, interfaces only supported Layer 1 to Layer 2 transfers, meaning users would have to find alternative ways to bridge between Layer 2s. Now, users can quickly, cheaply, and securely move $ETH and $USDC between chains, while the Optimism Collective gains valuable insights into the impact of enabling asset interoperability.
When moving between the Superchain, users can select the Standard Bridge, Optimism’s canonical bridge. Alternatively, they can use Across through Superbridge and Brid.gg to enjoy extremely fast Layer 2 to Layer 2 transfers within the Superchain.
Optimism’s effort goes beyond merely connecting the Superchain; it aims to unlock true interoperability within the entire Ethereum ecosystem. To that end, ERC-7683 and Native Interop are designed to work together to enable a secure, one-click, low cost, and fast solution for moving assets across chains. This will provide dApp developers with a single framework to leverage asset transfers across all of Ethereum, while ensuring the lowest slippage on the Superchain.
2024 and the interoperable future
The cross-chain ecosystem is growing fast and 2024 has surely been its most pivotal year yet. Intents are gaining pace and we believe they can enable true cross-chain interoperability and unify Ethereum. With ERC-7683 and Across now powering high-speed transfers throughout the Superchain ecosystem, the interoperable future is here now. And it looks brighter than ever.
This piece was compiled with contributions and editing from Marlene Ronstedt, Across Product Marketing Manager and Ryan Carman, Across Product Lead.
Words by @dreamsofdefi
