New York, NY – Union, the Modular Interoperability Layer, is partnering with Stargaze, the zero-gas NFT app chain, to facilitate the transfer of blue-chip Ethereum NFTs to the Cosmos ecosystem via the trusted, decentralized zkIBC bridge.
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The integration promises significant benefits for collections in both domains. Following the completion of this partnership, Stargaze’s NFT collections, including Bad Kids, will gain exposure in the Ethereum ecosystem by appearing on Ethereum marketplaces.
Conversely, blue-chip Ethereum NFTs such as CryptoPunks, BAYC, and Pudgy Penguins will find a new home in Stargaze. Additionally, NFT collections minted on Stargaze, such as the Celestine Sloth Society, will benefit from greater reach in Ethereum. This expansion is expected to increase trading volume in both ecosystems, resulting in higher royalties for creators.
Distinguished by its zero gas costs and carbon-neutral footprint, Stargaze enables creators to effortlessly launch permissionless collections using no-code solutions. With its minimal fees and improved user experience, Stargaze provides a more efficient trading environment for NFT enthusiasts.
The partnership between Union and Stargaze will establish an IBC channel between their testnets in the coming months to implement interoperability between ERC-721 and SG-721 standards. This process is intended to enable seamless cross-chain NFT transfers with minimal effort from Stargaze, aside from supporting Wasm light clients included in the new Cosmos SDK. Union’s upcoming integration with the AggLayer will further facilitate the transfer of NFTs between Polygon and Stargaze.
Shane Vitarana, co-founder of Stargaze, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying:
“We’re excited to work with Union to bring some of the best Ethereum NFTs to IBC for the first time. This partnership isn’t just about moving assets; it’s about connecting communities and simplifying the blockchain experience for everyone. As we bridge these ecosystems, we’re tackling the challenge of fragmentation head-on. It’s about making Stargaze not just a platform, but a community hub for the best NFTs out there, regardless of where they started. .”
Shane Vitarana, co-founder of Stargaze
One of the projects eagerly awaiting this integration is Hedgies, a series of 4,200 unique collectible avatars that have been distributed to the dYdX community since its inception. After dYdX’s move to the Cosmos ecosystem in October 2023, Hedgies owners have been waiting a long time for the opportunity to transfer their NFTs to the Cosmos ecosystem.
To demonstrate the capabilities of this new cross-chain NFT communication, Union plans to launch an exclusive collection across both the Ethereum and Stargaze networks to commemorate the upcoming mainnet launch, with further details to come in the coming months will be shared.
Cor Pruijs, CTO at Union, emphasized the importance of reliable interoperability, saying: “With Union’s zkIBC connection to Ethereum, we support generic message passing, allowing us to securely provide Merkle inclusion proofs for NFTs. Because Stargaze is a dedicated appchain, NFTs can be traded in an extremely efficient manner. I foresee more Ethereum protocols offloading computation to appchains and using Ethereum as a settlement layer.”
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About Union
Union is the first modular interoperability layer that pioneers reliable bridging between app chains, L1s, and L2s without relying on trusted third parties, oracles, multi-signatures, or MPC. Founded and supported by Composable Finance leaders; Consensys; Tokensoft; and Polygon, the Union’s consensus framework and flagship product, ETH to IBC, are charting a new era of interoperability and addressing the cost and security issues facing the industry.
About Sterrenkijk
Stargaze is an L1 blockchain designed to empower creators, traders, and developers. Providing real returns to stakers and on-chain royalty enforcement for creators and developers, Stargaze offers a range of apps that fit well together, from NFT coins and trading to more advanced NFT-Fi apps. As an app chain secured by a 140-node validator set, Stargaze supports IBC and pioneers ICS-721, the Interchain NFT transfer standard. Stargaze is also home to Bad Kids, a top NFT collection popular among crypto builders.