Here we report on the progress of the leading builders in the zk Cross-Chain ecosystem, documenting recent significant releases, technical breakthroughs and general updates
@Agglayer CDK, formerly @0xPolygon CDK, now supports the OP Stack configuration, allowing developers to launch low-cost, high-performance chains connected natively to Agglayer.
With no connection fees, it offers flexibility and uses @ethereum’s Geth client for reliability. Two configurations are currently available: cdk-opgeth and cdk-erigon. More stacks like @arbitrum Orbit may follow as Agglayer aims to unify Web3 through seamless multistack integration: https://polygon.technology/blog/cdk-goes-multistack-aggregate-everything-starting-with-op-stack…
Following this announcement, the project introduced VaultBridge - a revenue tool for EVM chains that earns yield on bridged assets without replacing existing bridges.
Built on @MorphoLabs vaults and managed by @gauntlet_xyz and @SteakhouseFi, it supports ETH, USDC, USDT, and WBTC. VaultBridge provides native revenue for L2s, scaling with TVL. Chains keep full control, and integration is easy, fee-free for Agglayer-connected chains, and configurable for users: https://polygon.technology/blog/introducing-vaultbridge-a-new-revenue-lego-for-evm-chains…
Agglayer also partnered with @magic_labs to develop a wallet offering smooth user interactions and secure, trustless backend operations.
The wallet will work seamlessly across multiple blockchains, ensuring a consistent experience regardless of the network. Developers can build once and deploy across all supported chains: https://x.com/Agglayer/status/1919926657583837611…
Finally, the team has launched the Agglayer Visualizer, an interactive 3D tool to help users understand Agglayer’s Unified Bridge for secure cross-chain communication. It shows how transactions move across chains, how state is encoded with Sparse Merkle Trees, and how Agglayer maintains verifiable exits. The tool offers real-time views of data flow and system architecture: https://agglayer.dev/blogs/the-agglayer-visualizer-an-interactive-guide-to-agglayers-unified-bridge
@PolyhedraZK is introducing Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) to improve security, lower costs, and add privacy to its cross-chain bridges, AI marketplace, and interoperability products.
Using Google Confidential Computing, Polyhedra’s ZK-TEE proofs enable secure computation on encrypted data, which will support faster transactions, reduce insurance costs for AI agents, and verify external data.
Rollout has started with bridges, expanding soon to AI and verifiable data services: https://blog.polyhedra.network/tee-in-polyhedra/…
Shortly after the TEE announcement, the team revealed a major milestone with Binary GKR, which proves Keccak hashes about 5.7 times faster than Binius.
Keccak, essential in @ethereum’s Merkle Patricia Trees, is notoriously hard to prove efficiently. Binary GKR optimizes this through binary-field commitments, packed bit operations, and precomputed lookup tables, potentially easing Ethereum’s transition to a ZK-based Layer-1: https://blog.polyhedra.network/binary-gkr/
Finally, Polyhedra introduced 'Playground', a platform offering developers grants, compute, and tools like zkPyTorch to create ZKPs for ML models.
Playground supports everything from early research to production, enabling secure, verifiable inference. It includes an AI marketplace with ready-made APIs and infrastructure, plus mentorship to help teams scale transparent, high-stakes AI systems effectively: https://blog.polyhedra.network/welcome-to-the-playground/
@espressoFNDN has upgraded its Decaf testnet to use a permissionless PoS consensus, a key step toward Mainnet 1.0. The update allows broader participation and includes technical enhancements that could cut confirmation times by nearly 30%.
This move supports Espresso’s goal of creating a decentralized, high-speed confirmation layer for @ethereum’s fragmented ecosystem: https://mirror.xyz/espressofndn.eth/-YPh-tPiplYaiW7BuogulG7_I82oWdX9EjIOdGlGYD4…
@EspressoSys now powers @LogX_trade with fast, secure transaction confirmations. As a DeFi-focused @arbitrum Orbit rollup, LogX gains near-instant BFT-backed finality, stronger protection against sequencer equivocation, and improved crosschain interoperability. The system keeps LogX’s architecture intact while adding a consensus layer that confirms blocks before they reach Ethereum. This integration supports LogX’s goal to unify traditional and decentralized finance through efficient, reliable infrastructure: https://medium.com/@espressosys/logx-joins-espresso-fast-secure-confirmations-fuel-the-future-of-defi-e94b0fbb0381…
Finally, the project announced the integration of @drawing_canvas, an appchain developed with @cartesiproject’s Linux-based VM.
DrawingCanvas enables users to collaboratively create and mint onchain drawings. The platform will utilize Espresso’s infrastructure for secure, low-latency confirmations, along with decentralized sequencing and data availability to enhance performance and reliability for its creative blockchain apps:
https://x.com/EspressoSys/status/1920069347952697682
@AcrossProtocol introduced the whitepaper 'Across Prime' - written by @hal2001, @danrobinson, and @mrice32: https://paradigm.xyz/2025/05/across-prime…
In the paper, they propose a bonded bridge model improving on escrowed systems by allowing relayers to receive user payments upfront, secured by a reusable bond. This approach enhances capital and gas efficiency, supports broader use cases like mint-and-burn tokens, and remains compatible with ERC-7683. Across Prime aims to make crosschain bridging faster, cheaper, and less capital-intensive: https://x.com/AcrossProtocol/status/1919787640036921712…
The project also published an article explaining that web3 adoption rises when users aren’t burdened by blockchain complexity.
In today’s multichain world, seamless experiences are essential. Across’ Intents-based system hides the technical process of bridging between chains, enabling users to perform actions like swapping, minting, or staking without switching networks. This “invisible bridging” supports developers, improves user retention, and aligns with @ethereum’s scalable future: https://across.to/blog/the-invisible-bridge-abstraction
@union_build has launched App v2 on its persistent Testnet, advancing its goal of connecting all Web3 infrastructure - L1s, L2s, rollups, and appchains: https://x.com/union_build/status/1917661005691388407…
The update introduces enhanced performance, refreshed UI, real-time network tracking, and expanded chain support. Transfers now count toward Testnet 9 achievements, and new onchain quests are live. A follow-up update, App v2.2, adds usability tweaks: selected chain, asset, and amount now persist when canceling or restarting, and users can flip source and destination with one click: https://x.com/union_build/status/1919519987427115448…
The project also announced two new partnerships:
• With @Pumpbtcxyz: enabling trustless, ZK-secured transfers of PumpBTC between @ethereum and @babylonlabs_io through Union’s BTCfi bridge. Users can access the bridge directly via the PumpBTC app and earn Union points for bridging and providing liquidity: https://x.com/union_build/status/1923393049541185834…
• With @Tower: powering the Union BTCfi Flywheel program, where users who provide liquidity using Union-bridged BTC assets can earn boosted Union points: https://x.com/union_build/status/1915063185486537099
@zkLink_Official has unveiled its roadmap for building a peer-to-peer AI Agent Trading Network, expanding on its ZK-powered infrastructure: https://x.com/zkLink_Official/status/1924464521818894405…
The plan includes core research in 2025, early protocol implementations, and testnet phases in 2026. The network will allow autonomous agents to trade, negotiate, and share data across blockchains. Key features include zero protocol fees, modular architecture, and cross-ecosystem compatibility.
@Gasp_xyz shared a bi-weekly update highlighting its recent improvements. The platform is now accessible via Binance Wallet’s browser, and several bugs - such as incorrect transaction displays and UI misstates - have been fixed. Upgrades include improved token filtering, TVL chart adjustments, and Tailwind v4 migration.
New testnet integrations with @monad_xyz and @megaeth_labs are live, along with a refreshed GASP faucet UI and enhanced internal withdrawal tracking systems: https://x.com/Gasp_xyz/status/1912461797707190591…
The project also announced that it now uses slashing on @eigenlayer to secure swaps and liquidity with real economic guarantees.
To ensure safety, the slashable restake should at least match the TVL on the AVS, making attacks economically irrational. All computations are re-executed on AVS and finalized on @ethereum L1, producing correctness proofs for every cross-layer swap: https://x.com/Gasp_xyz/status/1912900564565762538
@hyperbridge, developed by @PolytopeLabs, raised over $5 million to expand its cross-chain messaging protocol: https://techcabal.com/2025/04/17/polytope-labs-raises-over-5-million-to-scale-hyperbridge-backed-by-the-polkadot-ecosystem-fund/…
Backed by the Polkadot Ecosystem Fund, the funding includes $2.5 million in seed and $2.8 million in a public sale. Built by former @ethereum and @Polkadot developers, Hyperbridge connects over 12 blockchains using cryptographic proofs instead of intermediaries, aiming to improve interoperability and security across the Web3 ecosystem.
