NEAR Protocol Selects Wormhole as Primary Cross-Chain Bridge with Ethereum

NEAR Protocol, a leading layer-1 blockchain, has announced its plans to integrate Wormhole and leverage Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology to facilitate cross-chain transactions.

NEAR Protocol Selects Wormhole as Primary Cross-Chain Bridge with Ethereum

On the evening of May 17, NEAR Protocol and Wormhole unveiled their collaboration to develop light client applications that support cross-chain transactions utilizing Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs.

From now on, NEAR Protocol will integrate Wormhole as its primary cross-chain bridge, replacing the Rainbow Bridge. This means that Wormhole will become the main bridge for asset transfers between NEAR and Ethereum.

Additionally, NEAR will employ ZK technology to enhance the platform’s security. ZK proofs enable transaction verification without revealing additional information. However, this process is computation-heavy and requires the use of light clients, according to the NEAR Foundation. Light clients are streamlined versions of full nodes that only download a portion of the blockchain while still validating transactions and ensuring system integrity.

Both projects plan to build light clients to offload most computational requirements through ZK proofs. This strategy aims to optimize storage resources and computational capacity for the platform.

"By integrating Wormhole, we aim to enhance our multi-chain interoperability using the power of Zero-Knowledge (ZK) clients. This is a significant step towards strengthening our connections with other blockchains," concluded the NEAR Foundation.

Two months ago, NEAR Protocol launched its "Blockchain Operating System" (BOS), a platform designed to accommodate Web3 activities compatible with all blockchains, enhancing user experience. This move indicates a shift in focus from solely developing layer-1 solutions to creating a user-centric ecosystem. This is a positive development for NEAR following a challenging 2022.