Caution about feature status: Native Mint/Burn ships with ArbOS 41. We expect it to be included in the next ArbOS release, but disabled by default. Our team will be unable to provide extensive technical support for this feature with ArbOS 41. We recommend teams to wait for the next ArbOS release to use this feature for a more stable release.

Arbitrum chains are designed to “lock and mint” the native gas token in the canonical bridge. This process ensures the child representation of the gas token is always backed by the parent chain's gas token, locked in the canonical bridge.

This "lock and mint" pattern is not compatible with an emerging category of "native interop tokens." These tokens rely on cross-chain messaging layers to facilitate a "burn and mint" approach to cross-chain bridging, meaning the representative asset is burned on the source chain and minted on the destination chain. Examples of tokens with this pattern include: LayerZero OFTs, the xERC-20 standard, or stablecoins such as Circle’s USDC (possible with Circle-supplied adapter).

ArbOS 41 introduces the ability for native-interop tokens to work seamlessly as the gas token of an Arbitrum chain. This feature allows a chain owner (ArbOwner) to manage:

1. Permissioning of onchain addresses (typically, a token adapter contract) that have mint and burn access to the chain's native gas token on the child chain.
2. A security switch to timelock changes to Native Mint and Burn permissioned addresses (mitigating the risk of misuse or attack).
3. A collateral-sweeping method to ensure the 3rd-party native interop token’s cross-chain adapter contract always remains properly collateralized.

Important note: The Native Mint/Burn feature permits mint & burn capability of the rollup’s native gas token by a permissioned address on the rollup. It does not provide a solution for cross-chain interoperability and is not a replacement for 3rd-party omni-chain gas token products provided by partners such as LayerZero or Hyperlane. The table below helps to clarify the components needed to enable the use cases below.

• Owner allowlist and 7-day timelock
• Node rule that blocks value‑bearing withdrawals while an owner is present | | Adapter contract | Bridge infra provider (LayerZero, Hyperlane, etc.) | - Verifies cross-chain messages
• Calls mintNativeToken / burnNativeToken on L2
• Manages collateral vault on L1 | | Chain Configuration and Adjacent Infrastructure | RaaSes | - Permission the adapter address with mint & burn
• Run the outbox-sweep bot (this could also be run by LayerZero)
• Monitor timelock and supply events (could also be responsibility of LZ) |

Use cases

• LayerZero OFTs as gas tokens.
• xERC-20 token as a gas token.
• Stablecoins (e.g. USDC) use mint/burn functionality for cross-chain interop.

Notes:

• We do not recommend enabling Native Mint/Burn if your chain relies on the canonical bridge for liquidity or if you cannot comfortably implement the operational safeguards listed below.
• This feature is bridge-agnostic, so it’s possible to migrate from a bridge adapter implementation (e.g., LayerZero-OFT adapter) to another adapter without forking the chain or changing the gas token.