CrossFi Chain: Architectural Approach to Bridging Cosmos and EVM

Muhammed MusaMuhammed Musa
7 min read

Introduction

The blockchain landscape has witnessed significant architectural innovations aimed at solving the blockchain trilemma of scalability, security, and decentralization. CrossFi Chain has successfully deployed a novel approach through its modular Layer-1 design that strategically integrates Cosmos and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) technologies. This article explores the technical underpinnings of CrossFi's operational hybrid architecture and analyzes how this dual-layer system is currently delivering an optimized environment for decentralized applications and financial services.

Core Architecture: The Cosmos Foundation

CrossFi's primary layer leverages the Cosmos ecosystem, which provides the infrastructure components that form the blockchain's currently functioning foundation. This implementation consists of two key technologies:

Tendermint Core in Production

Tendermint Core serves as CrossFi's active consensus engine, implementing a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) protocol that delivers several measurable technical advantages:

  • Demonstrated Instant Finality: In production, transactions are confirmed within a single block, eliminating the need for additional confirmations as verified through network metrics.

  • Active Validator Network: The system currently operates with a network of validators who participate in the Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus, maintaining decentralization while ensuring computational efficiency.

  • Live Block Production: Validators are actively producing blocks in a round-robin fashion, with each block validated through the multi-round voting process that has maintained network integrity since launch.

  • Verified Performance: Network monitoring confirms the consensus mechanism achieves its 5-second block time target, enabling the measured throughput to approach 10,000 transactions per second in stress testing.

Deployed Cosmos SDK Implementation

The Cosmos SDK provides CrossFi with its production framework for blockchain application development, with several components in active use:

  • Operational Account System: The deployed account-based model is actively tracking user balances and state transitions across the network.

  • Transaction Processing Metrics: Monitoring confirms each block processes up to 100 operations per transaction, maximizing real-world throughput.

  • Stable Fee Structure: The network's implemented gas-based fee system maintains base transaction costs at approximately $0.02, providing predictable expenses for active users.

  • Module Deployment: CrossFi has deployed custom functionality modules while maintaining core blockchain operations as evidenced by its transaction history.

The EVM Layer: Operational Extension

CrossFi's EVM layer is currently expanding the blockchain's capabilities through active Ethereum compatibility. This is achieved through the integration of two deployed technologies:

Ethermint in Production

Ethermint, a Cosmos SDK module, enables CrossFi to execute Ethereum-compatible smart contracts in the following verifiable ways:

  • Functioning EVM State Machine: The deployed EVM executes smart contract bytecode identically to Ethereum, as verified through comparative testing.

  • Active Web3 Endpoints: The network maintains standard Ethereum JSON-RPC endpoints, allowing current integration with existing Ethereum tools and wallets.

  • Operational Gas Computation: The system actively calculates transaction costs using Ethereum's gas mechanism while settling fees in CrossFi's native tokens.

  • Verified Smart Contract Deployment: Developers have successfully deployed unmodified Solidity code directly to the CrossFi network as evidenced by on-chain activity.

Evmos Enhancements in Use

Building on Ethermint's foundation, CrossFi has incorporated Evmos technologies that enhance the user experience:

  • Implemented Account Abstraction: Users are currently interacting with dApps without managing private keys directly through the deployed abstraction layer.

  • Active Authentication Options: The network supports biometric and two-factor authentication methods that are improving security for current users.

  • Functional IBC Protocol: Active Inter-Blockchain Communication enables asset transfers between CrossFi and other Cosmos-based blockchains as demonstrated by cross-chain transaction history.

  • Extended EVM Capabilities: The deployed system provides additional opcodes and precompiles that extend Ethereum's functionality while maintaining backward compatibility.

Tokenomics: A Live Tri-Token Ecosystem

CrossFi's economic model operates with three distinct tokens, each with specific technical properties and functions currently in use:

MPX (Mint Power) in Circulation

MPX serves as the protocol's active governance and consensus token with verifiable characteristics:

  • Non-Transferable by Design: As implemented, MPX maintains its non-transferable status within the Cosmos layer, stabilizing the validator set.

  • Active Staking Mechanics: Staked MPX is generating rewards through the deployed time-based emission schedule, producing XFI tokens for stakeholders.

  • Functioning Validator Selection: The probability of validator selection is proportional to the amount of MPX staked, creating the balanced voting power distribution visible in network activity.

  • Active Governance System: On-chain governance is actively managing protocol changes through the implemented proposal and voting system, with votes weighted by MPX stake.

XFI (CrossFi) in Active Use

XFI functions as the network's primary utility token with verifiable activity:

  • Active Transaction Settlement: XFI is being used as the default token for gas fee payment across both Cosmos and EVM layers as shown in transaction records.

  • Operational Bridge Collateralization: The token actively serves as collateral for cross-chain bridges, ensuring secure asset transfers as evidenced by bridge transactions.

  • Functioning Supply Mechanics: XFI follows its deterministic emission schedule, with new tokens being created as staking rewards for MPX holders according to network parameters.

  • Implemented Fee Distribution: Transaction fees collected in XFI are being partially burned and partially distributed to validators, creating the deflationary pressure visible in token metrics.

eMPX (EVM-Compatible MPX) in Circulation

eMPX represents a tokenized, transferable version of MPX designed specifically for the EVM environment with demonstrated functionality:

  • Verified ERC-20 Compliance: Implemented as a standard ERC-20 token, eMPX is actively interacting with Ethereum-compatible DeFi protocols as shown by on-chain data.

  • Operational Two-Way Peg: The deployed smart contract-based bridge allows conversion between MPX and eMPX, maintaining value parity as verified through exchange data.

  • Active Liquidity Pools: Unlike native MPX, eMPX is being freely traded, enabling DeFi participation while preserving the governance properties of staked MPX.

  • Functioning Conversion Controls: To prevent governance attacks, the system has implemented rate-limiting on MPX to eMPX conversions as shown in the bridge transaction history.

Cross-Chain Interoperability in Production

A defining feature of CrossFi is its operational interoperability infrastructure:

Active IBC Protocol Implementation

The Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol enables CrossFi to connect with the broader Cosmos ecosystem in real time:

  • Functioning Packet Relay: IBC relayers actively transmit proofs between blockchains, verifying transaction authenticity without trusted third parties, as evidenced by relay statistics.

  • Demonstrated Multi-Asset Support: The protocol transfers tokens that conform to the IBC standard, creating a unified liquidity pool visible across multiple chains.

  • Secure Channel Operations: Each IBC connection uses dedicated channels with unique identifiers, with no recorded cross-channel attacks in production.

Operational Ethereum Bridge

For compatibility with Ethereum and other EVM chains, CrossFi has implemented a specialized bridge with verified functionality:

  • Active Multi-Signature Security: The threshold multi-signature scheme secures bridge operations, requiring multiple validators to approve cross-chain transfers as shown in transaction signatures.

  • Integrated Oracle Data: Price feeds ensure accurate valuation when bridging assets between ecosystems as verified through cross-chain transfer records.

  • Functioning Atomic Swaps: The bridge supports atomic cross-chain swaps, enabling trustless trading between Cosmos and Ethereum assets as demonstrated by swap transaction history.

Advantages and Active Use Cases

CrossFi's dual-layer architecture enables several technical use cases with verified implementation:

Operational DeFi Applications

  • Demonstrated Composite Transactions: Users are batching multiple operations per transaction, enabling complex DeFi strategies to be executed atomically as shown in transaction logs.

  • Verified MEV Protection: The implemented Tendermint consensus model is reducing the impact of Miner Extractable Value, creating a more equitable trading environment visible in price execution data.

  • Active Cross-Protocol Integration: Applications are leveraging both Cosmos-native and Ethereum-compatible protocols simultaneously, as evidenced by deployed dApps using both environments.

Developer Adoption Metrics

  • Multi-Language Development Activity: Developers are actively building using both Cosmos-native languages and Solidity, as shown by the diversity of deployed applications.

  • API Usage Statistics: The comprehensive API suite is facilitating interaction with both Cosmos and EVM functionalities through consistent interfaces as demonstrated by API call metrics.

  • Testing Framework Adoption: Support for popular Ethereum testing tools like Hardhat and Truffle is simplifying the development process, with multiple projects using these tools for CrossFi deployment.

Conclusion

CrossFi Chain is a smart and effective approach to blockchain design, combining the best of both the Cosmos and Ethereum ecosystems. With its dual-layer architecture, CrossFi has achieved impressive performance while staying compatible with the largest smart contract ecosystem out there. Its integrated token model and cross-chain features make CrossFi a solid platform for decentralized apps and financial services.

As the blockchain world keeps evolving, CrossFi's hybrid approach shows how smart design choices can overcome traditional blockchain challenges, creating a more connected and efficient space for users and developers. The network's growing transaction history and developer interest highlight its potential as a next-generation blockchain platform.

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Written by

Muhammed Musa
Muhammed Musa

From optimizing search results to building the future of the web - that's my journey. I'm Muhammed Musa, an SEO specialist with 5 years of experience, now venturing into the exciting realms of full-stack development and blockchain technology. I aim to blend my SEO expertise with cutting-edge web development and blockchain skills to create innovative, discoverable, decentralized solutions. I'm passionate about staying at the forefront of digital technology and eager to contribute to projects that push the boundaries of what's possible on the web.