VIA Labs enables Stellar-Ethereum cross-chain transfers, waives fees at launch

VIA Labs has introduced a two-way cross-chain messaging system connecting Stellar’s Soroban smart contract platform with Ethereum’s mainnet, aiming to simplify interoperability for developers and users. The launch was announced during Stellar’s Meridian conference in Lisbon, which took place on October 28 and 29, and arrives as both networks expand support for decentralized applications and tokenized assets.

New interoperability for Stellar and Ethereum

Stellar is an open-source payments network designed for fast, secure, and cost-efficient transfers, with its recent innovation, Soroban, delivering on-chain smart contract functionality. By integrating with Ethereum, one of the most widely used blockchain platforms, VIA Labs seeks to bridge the gap between two major blockchain ecosystems and foster broader adoption of cross-chain applications.

The messaging system allows smart contracts on the Stellar Soroban platform to communicate directly with those on Ethereum, enabling developers to move tokens, trigger actions on other chains, and create apps focused on stablecoin payments or tokenized real-world assets. This bi-directional connection is also available on the test networks of both blockchains, allowing projects to experiment before deploying to mainnet.

How the cross-chain process works

To validate the capability, VIA Labs deployed a reference token, VIAT, which enables burn-and-mint token bridging between Stellar and Ethereum. When a user initiates a transfer, tokens are burned on the originating chain and minted on the destination chain. The source contract generates a message with essential details, which is then signed by VIA validators. A relayer passes this signed message to the receiving gateway, which checks the signatures before instructing a corresponding contract to mint new tokens.

Transfers typically complete within one to three minutes. The system also accounts for differences in decimal precision, as Stellar supports seven decimal places while Ethereum allows 18, ensuring transferred amounts remain consistent across both networks.

Mini dictionary: Soroban is Stellar’s smart contract platform, designed to provide flexible, secure, and efficient on-chain programmability for decentralized applications. Its integration with Ethereum broadens the scope for innovative cross-chain dApps.

Fee structure, security, and developer resources

During the initial rollout, VIA Labs is waiving its protocol fee on Stellar-based transactions, with relayers covering the cost of token deliveries. Users must still pay standard network fees: Stellar’s native token for the Stellar network and gas for Ethereum.

To receive tokens on Stellar, recipients need a pre-existing funded account, and VIA Labs warns that sending to non-existent accounts could result in irreversible loss of funds. The system relies on VIA’s VG1 smart contracts, which underwent an audit by the cybersecurity firm Hashlock. Only smart contracts—not externally owned wallet addresses—are permitted to initiate these messages.

For testing purposes, VIA Labs provides a faucet distributing 100 VIAT per request on both Stellar testnet and Ethereum’s Sepolia testnet. Developers must occasionally update testnet addresses due to periodic resets on the Stellar testnet.

VIA Labs reports that cross-chain transfers are finalized in approximately one to three minutes and highlights their decision to waive protocol fees on Stellar routes during launch, offering additional relief for early users.

Broader ecosystem momentum

The launch follows Stellar’s recent introduction of USDT0, which enables Tether-backed stablecoin transfers using LayerZero, although LayerZero mainly targets USDT liquidity while VIA’s protocol is focused on generalized contract messaging. These developments signal increased activity in cross-chain and tokenized asset capabilities within the Stellar ecosystem.

At Meridian, Securitize, a digital asset and tokenization platform working with firms including BlackRock, Apollo, and Hamilton Lane, announced plans to add Stellar as its 17th supported blockchain for regulated assets. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), a leading clearinghouse in financial markets, also discussed its ongoing effort to integrate Stellar in its tokenized securities infrastructure. DTCC recently began providing tokenization services to 20 institutions and is targeting a public network rollout in 2027.