Altitude – Bridging Made Easy is an innovative solution that aims to simplify the process of cross-chain communication in the Web3 ecosystem. In recent years, the DeFi space has been fragmented across multiple blockchains, and users have been struggling to interact with different platforms due to vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in the existing bridging solutions. Altitude is designed to be a composable native asset bridge built on LayerZero, which allows Web3 users to easily transfer blue-chip assets cross-chain with secured guaranteed finality.
LayerZero is a cross-chain communication infrastructure that has been designed to ease the current constraints of omnichain activity. Unlike other bridging solutions requiring users to lock and mint assets, LayerZero relays messages between a growing number of L1 and L2 blockchains, making it a versatile, interoperable platform in the Web3 space. The current iteration of LayerZero allows applications to choose between different providers and switch at any time, thereby reducing the impact of malicious Relayers and improving decentralization.
Altitude’s cross-chain bridge provides a guarantee that funds on the source chain are committed when a transaction is successfully processed on the destination chain. This is different from Instant Guaranteed finality which guarantees the funds on the destination chain once the transaction is successfully committed on the source chain. Altitude enhances security through the use of Chain Paths, which are connections for a single asset between two different blockchains. These Chain Paths establish a reference for all possible connections, made up of assets executing on both the source and target chains, with each path being unique.
Altitude introduces the HUB, an Ethereum-based router connecting each Chain Path to their respective chains. To enhance security and stability, Altitude utilizes separate liquidity pools for each chain path. This renders each chain path independent of the others, making the entire system resilient to chain outages. Altitude can support multiple LayerZero compatible networks, such as Ethereum, Avalanche, BNB Chain, Polygon, Fantom, Arbitrum, Optimism, and Metis.
The team at Altitude recognizes the need for a secure, inexpensive, and fast bridging solution for blue-chip assets due to the increase in retail users in the DeFi space. The solution provides liquidity providers with an additional layer of security for their deposited funds. The use of Chain Paths and separate liquidity pools ensures that the entire system is resilient to chain outages, which is of utmost importance in the Web3 ecosystem.
Altitude is one of the first dApps built on LayerZero, and it positions itself as a frontrunner by taking advantage of new technology for Web3 users. The solution sets the standard for secure bridging for all DeFi users and provides a scalable solution for a growing Web3 ecosystem. Altitude bridges the gap between different blockchains and simplifies the process of cross-chain communication, making it easier for users to interact with different platforms. The solution is expected to drive the DeFi space forward and provide a sustainable and secure bridging solution for users to confidently transfer assets between chains.