Next Stop – The Omnichain Future

Multicoin wallets defined 2021. Standalone apps took over in 2023. Today, in 2025, we’re watching chains intertwine into a living, interconnected system that shares both assets and execution

How Bridges Grew Up

Cross-chain bridges were initially hobbled contraptions in a messy ecosystem. Assets would be locked on one chain and minted on another, and users relied heavily on the security of keys. Today, bridges operate at real scale: total value locked in bridges reached ~$19.5 billion by January 2025, and cross-chain bridges collectively facilitate over $1.3 trillion in annual transfers, contributing to 54% of all DeFi activity.

LayerZero and Axelar have made significant progress in reducing liquidity fragmentation, and Wormhole alone has moved over $52 billion in lifetime transfers. LayerZero now processes over $5 billion monthly. Cross-chain transactions measured in the tens of billions are now routine.

Why “Omnichain” Matters

The term ‘omnichain’ encompasses more than just token movement; it facilitates logical continuity. DeFi strategies can execute on Ethereum, settle via Arbitrum, and be arbitraged on Solana using cross-chain protocols within minutes.

Connectivity is creating a composable financial system. Liquidity is no longer fenced in: a trader on BSC can access Ethereum’s deep liquidity, and vice versa. Today, a single codebase can run across multiple chains. LayerZero processes messages between 130+ networks, with over 150 million delivered, and Axelar’s cross-chain activity grew 536% in a year. This is how wallets and apps achieve true omnichain flow.

Enterprises Are Getting On Board

Enterprise adoption is growing. For example, USDC has transitioned from being primarily an Ethereum ERC-20 token to a globally native stablecoin through CCTP, spanning Ethereum, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Solana, and Base. Tokenized bonds on one platform can settle via code on another, and custodians and exchanges are building multichain settlement layers. The infrastructure parallels traditional finance messaging systems, but in a cryptographically verified, near-instant form.

Security: The Elephant in the Room

Bridges are complex software. Historically, over $2.8 billion has been stolen from bridge exploits, roughly 40% of all crypto hacks. Centralized points of failure exist in trusted operator models (like CCTP’s custody) and semi-decentralized validator sets. Bridges face a speed/decentralization trade-off, often relying on small, fast relayers vulnerable to collusion. Even “decentralized” bridges depend on off-chain oracles or governance, which can freeze funds. Dependency on a single bridging network remains a systemic risk.

Mitigation requires careful key management, diversified trust, and better UX to prevent blind transfers. LayerZero’s decentralized oracles and Axelar’s multi-chain validator sets are examples of solutions addressing these risks.

Regulators Enter the Chat

Cross-chain bridges have become a compliance headache. During the first half of 2025 alone, they processed $1.5 billion in stolen funds for laundering, a scale that’s impossible for regulators to ignore. Modern bridges, however, can embed compliance logic: token transfers can carry provenance, whitelists, and limits. Circle’s CCTP, for example, is fully transparent to issuers. Collaboration on standards will allow chains to communicate while remaining compliant.

The Innovation Horizon

Innovation is ongoing. Proposals include restaked validator services to speed settlement and ZK proofs for trustless cross-chain transfers. Startups are prototyping ZK-based bridge designs and “intent networks” that abstract away routes and rely on solver markets for optimal execution.

While infrastructure is not yet perfect, the alternative, fragmented ecosystems, is inefficient. Cross-chain applications are expected to become seamless, supporting faster development and smoother user experiences.

The Omnichain Future

ChangeNOW observes this evolution daily. Customers swap assets across 110+ chains without needing to consider the bridge itself. Demand is growing, even in volatile markets. The industry is transitioning from curiosity-driven experimentation to core plumbing, with omnichain interoperability gradually becoming the standard.

2026 may mark the point where “multichain” is considered baseline and “omnichain” becomes the norm. Tools enabling seamless cross-chain development and wallet interoperability will make the underlying chain largely invisible to users. Regulators may maintain older paradigms, but markets are driving efficiency and interoperability forward.

Interoperability isn’t just growing; it’s scaling up almost vertically. With bridges already powering most DeFi transactions, we’re on a clear path to a unified ecosystem. Before long, today’s scattered infrastructure will seem like a distant memory.

By Pauline Shangett, CSO at ChangeNOWPauline Shangett is CSO at ChangeNOW, a non-custodial crypto exchange with more than $1B in monthly trading volume. She brings over 7 years of experience in blockchain, combining marketing, growth, and strategy across multiple stages of product and market development.X.com