2024 Axelar Developer Highlights and Updates

In 2024, Axelar took massive strides toward making true multichain interoperability a reality. From unlocking new design spaces for builders to connecting more than 69 chains to unveiling the Mobius Development Stack. 2024 proved that Axelar is here to stitch the fragmented blockchain world into one cohesive network.

As the year began, there was a focus on bridging Web3 gaming and staking solutions, laying out roadmaps for the months ahead. By December (this year), significant mainnet milestones were celebrated, groundbreaking stack components were introduced, integration with leading ecosystems was achieved, and a thriving developer community was witnessed. Let’s look back at a transformative year.

TLDR

• In 2024, Axelar advanced multichain interoperability, connecting over 69 chains.

• Launched the Mobius Development Stack, enhancing blockchain connectivity.

• Integrated with the Immutable ecosystem and enabled Liquid Staked ETH transfers to BNB Chain.

• Introduced Interchain Token Service (ITS) and the Interchain Amplifier.

• Launched the Axelar developer blog.

• Enhanced developer tools and community engagement through workshops and educational content.

• Surpassed 2 million cross-chain transactions.

• Integrated Flow and Hedera with the Interchain Amplifier.

• Sponsored events like ETHGlobal Bangkok and hosted Amplify Bangkok, showcasing innovative projects.

In January, integration with Immutable was achieved, enabling Liquid Staked ETH (wstETH) transfers to the BNB Chain while unveiling a roadmap featuring the Axelar Virtual Machine, Interchain Amplifier, and Interchain Tokens. Axelar was also announced as a partner to integrate with the Monad blockhain. February saw the launch of the Interchain Token Service on the mainnet, allowing the creation and registration of multichain tokens. By March, Axelar introduced the Interchain Amplifier concept, using CosmWasm and other innovations to build a chain-agnostic, decentralized cross-chain infrastructure.

Major Developments

• Launched Interchain Token Service (ITS) on mainnet (February).

• Established a partnership with Immutable for multichain GameFi.

• Established a partnership with Monad.

• Integrated with Lido DAO, bringing wstETH to BNB Chain.

• Released 2024 roadmap outlining ambitious platform expansion.

Technical Updates

• Released comprehensive guides for Interchain Token Service.

• Enhanced AxelarJS capabilities for gas services and debugging.

• Expanded developer documentation and tutorials.

• Integration with Moralis was introduced to enhance development tools.

Community Engagement

• Participated in ETH Denver Hacker House.

• Conducted multiple developer workshops.

• Launched new developer-focused educational content.

• Launched the Developer Blog

Q2 (April - June)

The second quarter marked significant progress in Axelar's technical infrastructure and developer tools. During Q2, Axelar accelerated its efforts toward seamless, permissionless interoperability. In April, the Interchain Amplifier was released on Devnet, featuring chain-agnostic message routing and CosmWasm integrations. In May, the Amplifier integrated with Rollkit, supporting sovereign blockchains and leading to a more developer-focused content strategy.

By June, tutorials on building multichain stablecoins were published, the Axelar Gas Service documentation was updated, and Foundry Axelar gmp example developer tools were improved with local testing support, fostering adoption and a strong technical ecosystem.

Major Developments

• Deployed Interchain Amplifier on devnet.

• Enhanced Remix (LearnETH) integration with multichain development tutorials.

• Expanded support for Polygon Amoy and Linea Sepolia on testnet.

• Reached significant cross-chain transaction milestones.

Technical Achievements

• Released new tutorials for cross-chain development.

• Enhanced IBC chain connectivity.

• Improved documentation for interchain messaging.

• Launched Farcaster Frame integration with Axelar GMP.

Community Growth

• Hosted multiple developer workshops.

• Expanded tutorial series for advanced token management.

• Enhanced support for multichain RWA development.

Q3 (July – September)

Q3 saw the development of core technologies and the expansion of cross-chain capabilities. Starting in July with the Interchain Amplifier’s testnet debut, developers could deploy multichain stablecoins and enhance token functionality with ITS.

In August, the Axelar network underwent its mainnet upgrade and announced a collaboration with OpenZeppelin to standardize key interoperability standards. By September, the Amplifier's infrastructure was live on the mainnet, and the Foundry Axelar GMP example repository included ITS examples. This positioned Axelar to offer unmatched flexibility and simplified cross-chain deployments as new integrations were introduced.

Major Developments

• Successfully upgraded mainnet to v1.0.2 (August 28).

• Launched OpenZeppelin integration.

• Advanced Interchain Amplifier to testnet.

• Released Multichain RWA lending tutorials.

Technical Progress

• The Foundry Axelar GMP example repository integrated Interchain Token Service.

• Implemented mainnet deployment for Amplifier.

• Enhanced network stability and performance.

• Introduced BatchRequest message type for granular transaction handling on the Network.

• Improved chain connectivity with new IBC-related queries.

Developer Resources

• Released new documentation for Amplifier verifier onboarding.

• Produced advanced ITS token integration tutorials.

• Expanded cross-chain development guides.

• Improved troubleshooting documentation based on developer queries and partner support.

Q4 (October – December)

In the final quarter of 2024, Axelar demonstrated its growth as a top interoperability platform. During Q4, Axelar broadened its reach with the October launch of the Mobius Development Stack (MDS). This allowed developers to combine on-chain and off-chain logic across various ecosystems, including the newly integrated Flow blockchain, under the Interchain Amplifier.

In November, events like Amplify Bangkok and ETHGlobal Bangkok highlighted Axelar’s community-driven innovation, with developers creating projects such as omnichain tokens and sovereign deployment tools.

Major Developments

• Launched Axelar's Mobius Development Stack (MDS).

• Integrated Flow blockchain with Interchain Amplifier.

• Surpassed 2 million cross-chain transactions.

• Connected to over 69 blockchain networks.

Events

• Hosted Amplify Bangkok alongside Devcon.

• Sponsored ETHGlobal Bangkok Hackathon.

• Showcased innovative projects, including Mooodeng, ETHVercel, and Swift Easy

  • Mooodeng: Mooodeng is an omnichain token solution integrating multiple cross-chain protocols, enabling seamless token transfers and interactions across blockchain ecosystems.

  • ETHVercel: ETHVercel enables the deployment of sovereign applications with ZK-powered location validation. It earns Proof of Deployment tokens (ERC-5192) while maintaining granular access control in a collaborative ecosystem.

  • Swift Easy: Swift Easy is a dual-ledger-based SWIFT extension for enterprise-grade cross-border payments.

  • Smooth Store: SmoothStore is a decentralized storage platform with seamless onboarding using EIP-7702 biometric authentication, enabling secure file storage via FaceID or fingerprint.

  • BS-ITC: BS-ITC enables cross-chain token transfers, facilitating a smoother user experience for decentralized ecosystems.

• Conducted more developer workshops

Technical Achievements

• Enhanced Interchain Token Service Capabilities.

• Expanded support for multiple blockchain ecosystems like the Flow blockchain and Hedera

Looking Forward to 2025

As a transformative 2024 concludes, Axelar stands more potent than ever in its mission to build the Internet of Blockchains. The foundation laid this year through the Mobius Development Stack, Interchain Amplifier, and strategic partnerships positions Axelar for continued growth and innovation in 2025.

Key areas of focus for the coming year include:

• Further expansion of blockchain network integrations. Integrating prominent non-evm chains such as Sui, Stellar, Solana, and XRP.

• Enhanced developer tools and resources.

• Continued advancement of cross-chain technologies.

• Deeper integration with emerging blockchain ecosystems

The achievements of 2024 demonstrate technological advancement and a commitment to building a more accessible and interoperable Web3 ecosystem. As 2025 begins, Axelar continues to lead in blockchain interoperability, enabling developers to create the next generation of cross-chain applications.

For more information about Axelar and to stay updated on future developments, visit Axelar Network or join our growing community on Discord and X (Twitter).