DeFi
ZetaChain Aims to Push the Boundaries of Cross-Chain Interoperability with Gateway Upgrade
Gateway allows users to access dApps hosted on third-party networks supported by ZetaChain.
ZetaChain seeks to push the boundaries of cross-chain interoperability with its Gateway upgrade.
On July 17, ZetaChain, a layer-1 network supporting omnichain functionality, spear Gateway, enabling bi-directional interoperability for dApps launched on supported networks and ZetaChain.
Gateway enables the deployment of smart contracts on connected chains that expose its API for developers to interact with. Thus, the upgrade allows users to access dApps hosted on other networks from ZetaChain while allowing users from other networks to interact with ZetaChain-based applications.
This means that developers only need to deploy their dApp once to reach users across multiple networks. Gateway supports Bitcoin, Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible networks, and non-EVM chains
“Applications on [ZetaChain’s] “Universal EVM (Universal Apps) can both natively access and be accessible from any connected chain without requiring users to switch networks,” ZetaChain said. “Gateway allows third-party accounts and applications on connected chains to efficiently call Universal Apps, send tokens, and manage gas requests through a unified API.”
Gateway also enables multi-transaction and cross-chain operations with one click.
ZetaChain’s User Base Is Growing
ZetaChain describes itself as enabling “chain abstraction” through its universal EVM. The project supports cross-chain interactions with Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, BNB Chain, and Cosmos, among other networks.
ZetaChain quickly rose to the top of the networks in terms of daily active users after launching its mainnet beta on January 31. According to DappRadar, ZetaChain ranks 20th among Web3 networks in terms of monthly users, hosting more than 850,000 unique wallets in the last 30 days, significantly outperforming more established networks like Tron, Avalanche, and Fantom.
Despite ZetaChain’s strong user base, ZetaChain-native dApps have not thrived. According to DeFi Llama, the total value locked in ZetaChain-based DeFi protocols is only $3.9 million, with EddyFinance accounting for 39% of the total.
“Star” or “point-to-point” messaging
ZetaChain said Gateway overcomes many of the inefficiencies associated with conventional blockchain bridges, with ZetaChain serving as the hub through which all cross-chain messages flow.
“The hub-and-spoke model proposed by Universal Apps solves scalability and maintenance issues… with point-to-point messaging since all communications are routed through a single hub with ready-made connections to all other blockchains in the network,” ZetaChain said.
In contrast, ZetaChain describes its legacy “peer-to-peer” messaging system as requiring an exponential increase in the complexity of cross-chain communications as the number of interconnected networks increases.
“In a peer-to-peer messaging system, a contract on one chain communicates directly with another contract on another blockchain,” ZetaChain explains. “As the number of blockchains and contracts increases, the complexity increases exponentially. Each contract must establish and maintain a direct link with every other contract, creating a dense web of connections.”
The project describes Gateway as playing a fundamental role within its ZetaChain 2.0 roadmap.
Related: Chainlink Completes Permissionless Deployment of Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol