Recently, Mind Network announced the launch of a new cross-chain bridge called the zero-trust cross-chain bridge. This bridge enables the connection of traditional assets and encrypted assets, bridging Web2 and Web3 technologies. It aims to unlock the liquidity of any asset and create a compliant bridge to freedom for the next era.

Zero Trust Bridge (ZTB) is a solution proposed to address the cross-chain security issues existing in the Web3 multi-chain era. In the Web3 world, it becomes even more important to keep user data secure, especially when engaging in cross-chain interactions and communications.

However, traditional cross-chain bridges have flaws in protecting user assets and data, making them vulnerable to malicious attacks and resulting in financial losses. In order to solve this problem, Mind Network has proposed the Zero Trust Bridge (ZTB), which connects traditional finance, central bank digital currencies (CBDC), and blockchain together, providing unprecedented security protection for asset transfers and data communication between different blockchains.

Zero Trust Bridge (ZTB) adopts a zero-trust security technology framework and combines advanced technologies such as zero-knowledge proof and fully homomorphic encryption to ensure the security of cross-chain asset transfer and data exchange. It can achieve connectivity and interoperability from bank chain to public chain, CBDC chain to public chain, and public chain to public chain, improving the security of these cross-chain interactions. ZTB’s vision is to introduce trillions of dollars into the Web3 space and unlock unprecedented growth opportunities for individuals, institutions, and governments.

ZTB achieves its goals through three key components: Zero Trust Data, Zero Trust Transactions, and Zero Trust Assets. Zero-trust data protects users’ sensitive information, zero-trust transactions use advanced encryption technology to ensure transaction security, and zero-trust assets guarantee the security of assets on the chain. Additionally, ZTB addresses compliance issues by providing transparent and verifiable transaction records using zero-knowledge proof technology.

The introduction of Zero Trust Cross-Chain Bridge (ZTB) will promote the changes and development of security in the Web3 multi-chain era, providing a safer digital economic environment for individuals, institutions and governments.

The Dilemma of Cross-Chain Bridges

Cross-chain bridge is a technical solution designed to enable interoperability and cross-chain transfer of assets between different blockchain networks. In the current blockchain ecosystem, there are many different blockchain networks, such as Ethereum, Polkadot, Binance Smart Chain, etc. Each blockchain network has its own rules and characteristics, so direct cross-chain interaction is not possible.

The role of the Web3 cross-chain bridge is to establish a bridge connecting different blockchain networks so that users can transmit and transfer assets between different blockchain networks. It implements cross-chain transfer functions by introducing middle-layer protocols and smart contracts, allowing users to lock assets on one blockchain and then unlock and use these assets on another blockchain.

The implementation of cross-chain bridge involves multiple technical elements, including smart contracts, multi-signature mechanisms, on-chain verification, etc. Through these technical means, cross-chain bridges can ensure the security and reliability of cross-chain transfers and prevent double spendings and other malicious behaviors from occurring.

However, current cross-chain bridges face some dilemmas and challenges. First, the issue of interoperability of different blockchain networks is a key challenge. Since each blockchain network has its own rules and characteristics, compatibility and mutual trust issues between different networks need to be solved when transferring assets across chains.

Secondly, the security and reliability of cross-chain bridges are also an important issue. Since cross-chain transfer involves the locking and unlocking of assets, once a security vulnerability or technical failure occurs, assets may be lost or stolen.

In response to these problems, some countermeasures can be taken to improve the performance and functionality of the Web3 cross-chain bridge. First, interoperability standards between different blockchain networks can be strengthened and the interconnection of various blockchain networks can be promoted. Secondly, the security design of cross-chain bridges can be strengthened and more stringent security mechanisms and verification mechanisms can be introduced to ensure the safety and reliability of assets. Finally, user education and awareness can be strengthened, users’ understanding and use of cross-chain bridges can be improved, and users’ erroneous operations and risks in cross-chain transfers can be reduced.

The Importance of Web3 Cross-chain Bridge

A cross-chain bridge is a crucial component of the current Web3 ecosystem as it serves as a connection between various blockchain networks. As blockchain technology advances rapidly, different blockchain networks with distinct characteristics and functions have emerged. However, these networks suffer from isolation and lack interoperability, hindering data sharing. Consequently, users and developers encounter numerous challenges and limitations when transferring assets and data across different blockchain networks.

The importance of cross-chain bridges lies in enabling interoperability and data sharing between different blockchain networks. Through cross-chain bridges, users and developers can transfer assets and data from one blockchain network to another, realizing cross-chain interaction and value flow. This provides users with more choices and flexibility, allowing them to better take advantage of the features and capabilities of different blockchain networks. At the same time, cross-chain bridges also provide developers with more opportunities and possibilities, promoting the innovation and development of blockchain applications.

However, the current Web3 cross-chain bridge faces some dilemmas and challenges. First, technical differences and lack of standards between different blockchain networks make the development and implementation of cross-chain bridges difficult. Secondly, the security and reliability of the cross-chain bridge is also an important consideration, because once there is a problem with the cross-chain bridge, it may lead to asset loss or data leakage. In addition, the performance and scalability issues of cross-chain bridges also need to be solved to cope with the growing number of users and transaction volumes.

In addition, the Web3 cross-chain bridge can also promote cooperation and collaborative development between different chains. Through cross-chain bridges, different chains can share and exchange information and develop more cooperative projects and applications. This will promote the development of the entire Web3 ecosystem so that different chains can complement and enhance each other to provide more services and functions.

Current Technical Challenges of Web3 Cross-Chain Bridge

Currently, Web3 cross-chain bridges face several technical challenges that hinder their widespread promotion and use in practical applications. Here are some key technical challenges:

Security issues: Cross-chain bridges need to ensure the security of transferring assets and data between different blockchains. However, due to the differences and incompatibilities between blockchains, the design and implementation of cross-chain bridges often face security issues. For example, there may be risks such as double spending, malicious attacks, or contract vulnerabilities.
Performance issues: Cross-chain bridges need to handle a large number of transactions and data transfers, so performance is a key issue. Currently, the performance of cross-chain bridges is often limited by the throughput and latency of the blockchain. This results in cross-chain bridges that may experience delays and congestion when processing large-scale transactions.
Interoperability issues: There are interoperability issues between different blockchains, which complicates the design and implementation of cross-chain bridges. For example, different blockchains may use different consensus algorithms, programming languages, and data formats, which increases the difficulty of development and integration of cross-chain bridges.
Decentralization issue: The design of the cross-chain bridge should be decentralized to ensure that there is no single point of failure and single point of attack. However, realizing a decentralized cross-chain bridge requires solving issues such as consensus algorithm, node election, and data synchronization, which increases the complexity of the technology.

In addition, the current Web3 cross-chain bridge faces a series of security risks, which may lead to financial losses, data leaks, and network attacks. Here are some common security risks and how to deal with them:

Smart contract vulnerabilities: The smart contract is at the heart of the cross-chain bridge and is susceptible to various vulnerabilities, including reentrancy attacks and overflow attacks. To mitigate these risks, developers must perform thorough security audits and testing. Additionally, adopting best practices when writing smart contracts is crucial, such as utilizing security libraries and avoiding the use of outdated functions.
On-chain attacks: The security of cross-chain bridges also depends on the security of the underlying blockchain. If the underlying blockchain has vulnerabilities or is attacked, the security of the cross-chain bridge will be threatened. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a safe and reliable underlying blockchain. At the same time, the design of the cross-chain bridge should also take into account the possibility of on-chain attacks and take corresponding defensive measures.
Private key management: Cross-chain bridges involve the transfer of assets across multiple chains, and the management of private keys becomes particularly important. Disclosure or loss of private keys may result in loss of funds. To ensure the security of private keys, developers can adopt security measures such as multi-signature technology and hardware wallets, and conduct regular backup and recovery tests.
Centralization risk: Some cross-chain bridges may rely on centralized services or intermediaries, which will increase security risks. Centralized services may become the target of attackers. Once compromised, it will have a serious impact on the security of the cross-chain bridge. In order to reduce the risk of centralization, developers can consider adopting decentralized solutions, such as using multiple relay nodes, introducing decentralized identity authentication, etc.

Standardization of Cross-Chain Bridges is Still Incomplete

Another dilemma currently faced by Web3 cross-chain bridges is the lack of standardization. Since the development of Web3 cross-chain bridges is relatively new, various projects and platforms are constantly trying and exploring new technologies and solutions, resulting in great differences in the implementation methods and mechanisms of cross-chain bridges. This lack of standardization has caused some confusion and inconvenience to users and developers.

First, the lack of standardization makes it impossible for different cross-chain bridges to interoperate. Since each project has its own unique implementation methods and protocols, direct communication and interaction between different cross-chain bridges is not possible. This means that if users want to transfer assets or cross-chain transactions between different chains, they need to find a specific cross-chain bridge suitable for the target chain, which increases the user’s operational complexity and learning cost.

Secondly, the lack of standardization also brings some challenges to developers. Since each cross-chain bridge has its own unique API and protocol, developers need to adapt and integrate different cross-chain bridges when building cross-chain applications. This increases the developer’s workload and development difficulty.

In order to solve this problem, a set of cross-chain bridge standards need to be developed and promoted. This ensures that different cross-chain bridges follow the same specifications and protocols, thereby achieving safe and reliable transfer of cross-chain assets. Standardization can also reduce developers’ development and maintenance costs and improve the availability and ease of use of cross-chain bridges.

In the process of formulating cross-chain bridge standards, the following aspects need to be considered:

Protocol standardization: Develop a set of communication protocols and data format standards for cross-chain bridges to ensure that different cross-chain bridges can understand and interact with each other. This can be extended and improved upon existing cross-chain protocols, such as Polkadot’s XCMP protocol and Cosmos’ IBC protocol.

Security standardization: Develop a set of security standards for cross-chain bridges to ensure that the design and implementation of cross-chain bridges comply with security best practices. This includes auditing and vulnerability repair of the cross-chain bridge’s smart contracts, as well as monitoring and risk management of the cross-chain bridge’s operating environment.

Standardization of cross-chain assets: Develop a set of standards for cross-chain assets to ensure the reliability and consistency of cross-chain asset transfers and transactions. This can include standardizing the naming and identification of cross-chain assets, as well as verifying and confirming the transfer and transactions of cross-chain assets.

By formulating and promoting standards for cross-chain bridges, the interoperability and interoperability of cross-chain bridges can be promoted, and the development of the Web3 ecosystem and the promotion of cross-chain applications can be promoted. At the same time, standardization can also reduce developers’ development and maintenance costs and improve the availability and ease of use of cross-chain bridges.

Interoperability Issues of Cross-Chain Bridges

One of the current dilemmas with Web3 cross-chain bridges is interoperability issues. Due to the different designs and protocols of different blockchain networks, cross-chain bridges face some challenges when achieving interoperability between different chains.

Interoperability issues mainly include the following aspects:

Different chains have different data formats and encoding methods: Different blockchain networks use different data formats and encoding methods, which requires cross-chain bridges to perform format conversion and decoding work when transmitting and parsing data. For example, Ethereum uses the Solidity language, while Polkadot uses the Rust language, which requires cross-chain bridges to convert data formats between different chains, increasing the complexity of development and maintenance.
Differences in smart contract languages and functions of different chains: Different blockchain networks use different smart contract languages and functions, which causes cross-chain bridges to consider the differences in contract languages and functions of different chains when implementing cross-chain interactions. For example, Ethereum’s smart contract language Solidity is very different from Polkadot’s smart contract language Ink, which requires cross-chain bridges to consider the compatibility and functional adaptation of different contract languages when handling cross-chain interactions.
Differences in consensus algorithms and security of different chains: Different blockchain networks use different consensus algorithms and security mechanisms, which requires cross-chain bridges to consider the differences in consensus algorithms and security when dealing with cross-chain interactions. For example, Bitcoin uses the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus algorithm, while Polkadot uses the Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) consensus algorithm. This requires cross-chain bridges to consider the consensus mechanisms and security requirements of different chains when handling cross-chain interactions.

To resolve interoperability issues, the following strategies can be adopted:

Standardize data formats and encoding methods: Develop unified data formats and encoding methods to enable seamless data transmission and analysis between different chains. For example, a set of universal cross-chain data formats and encoding standards can be developed to enable direct data interaction between different chains and reduce the work of format conversion and decoding.
Build a cross-chain contract framework: Design and implement a universal cross-chain contract framework so that smart contracts on different chains can interact across chains under this framework. The framework should consider the compatibility and adaptability of different contract languages and functions in order to achieve seamless connection of cross-chain interactions.
Develop a cross-chain consensus mechanism and security standards: Develop a unified cross-chain consensus mechanism and security standards to ensure the security and reliability of cross-chain interactions. The consensus mechanism and security standards should take into account the differences in consensus algorithms and security of different chains in order to maintain consistent security and trustworthiness in cross-chain interactions.

Disclaimer：

This article is reprinted from [PermaDAO]. All copyrights belong to the original author [PermaDAO]. If there are objections to this reprint, please contact the Gate Learn team, and they will handle it promptly.
Liability Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not constitute any investment advice.
Translations of the article into other languages are done by the Gate Learn team. Unless mentioned, copying, distributing, or plagiarizing the translated articles is prohibited.