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On behalf of Arbitrum Foundation, Offchain Labs is developing an intent engine to facilitate interoperability for all Arbitrum chains and broader EVM chains. This document will provide guidance on how builders can enable intent-based interoperability for their chains and applications.
The target launch date is end of Q1 for the first wave of intent-based interoperability.
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As the first phase of the interoperability plan, all Arbitrum chains and applications should have access to crosschain token transfers of ETH/USDC in less than 3 seconds. At first, the intent engine will be reliant on third party infrastructure, but OCL plans to develop contracts which will be made available to chain owners who are looking to open token transfer routes by default.
The Arbitrum Foundation will provide a solver loan program (SLP) to solvers so that they have liquidity readily available to service the Arbitrum ecosystem. The goal is for this SLP to run through Nomial, an inventory management platform that can be used to allow solvers to collateralize assets on Arbitrum One and borrow assets on other chains to fill user intents.
Nomial’s codebase must first be audited before the SLP can begin, so the ecosystem should anticipate the first phase of interoperability to go live by the end of Q1.
In order to access interoperability, builders should consider the following:
Embed a third party frontend hook on their applications. This provides a path for users to transfer assets from any EVM chain to a destination chain, without leaving the page. There are several solutions on the market:
Activate Fast Withdrawals
Chain owners should speak with their RaaS providers to turn on Fast Withdrawals, which drastically reduces the time to withdraw assets from an Arbitrum chain. While not a requirement, this makes it easier for solvers to service intents. Activation of Fast Withdrawals on an Anytrust chain introduces no new trust assumptions. L2s that rely on Ethereum for DA will not need to adopt Fast Withdrawals.
Note that some solvers will not service a chain until it has 2 different RPC providers. By working with a variety of solvers in the SLP, the Arbitrum Foundation is making interoperability inclusive. The Arbitrum Foundation with the support of OCL will work with solvers to identify dependencies for support on your chain.
Solvers have the optionality to rebalance inventory quickly through Everclear.
While the goal is to enable interoperability for all Arbitrum chains, the Arbitrum Foundation with the support of OCL will select pilot chains and applications in a phased approach. The support of each additional chain adds complexity to a solver’s setup, meaning that interoperability cannot suddenly support 30+ chains on day one. OCL is committed to creating smart contracts that will enable chain owners to turn on transfer routes themselves, reducing reliance on third parties in the long run.
Please reach out to the Arbitrum Foundation or OCL with any questions.