LayerZero: Trustless Omnichain Interoperability Protocol

Abstract

The proliferation of blockchains has given developers a variety of platforms on which to run their smart contracts based on application features and requirements for throughput, security, and cost. However, a consequence of this freedom is severe fragmentation; Each chain is isolated, forcing users to silo their liquidity and limiting options to move liquidity and state between walled ecosystems. This paper presents LayerZero, the first trustless omnichain interoperability protocol, which provides a powerful, low level communication primitive upon which a diverse set of cross-chain applications can be built. Using this new primitive, developers can implement seamless inter-chain applications like a cross-chain DEX or multi-chain yield aggregator without having to rely on a trusted custodian or intermediate transactions. Simply put, LayerZero is the first system to trustlessly enable direct transactions across all chains. Allowing transactions to flow freely between chains provides opportunities for users to consolidate fragmented pockets of liquidity while also making full use of applications on separate chains. With LayerZero, we provide the network fabric underlying the fully-connected omnichain ecosystem of the future.