The Ethereum Foundation (EF) announced on Feb. 19 a new interoperability initiative called the Open Intents Framework to streamline cross-chain transactions across Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible networks fueled by intents.
The project will tackle the inefficiencies that arise from navigating the increasingly fragmented Ethereum layer-2 (L2) ecosystem. Hyperlane and BootNode support the initiative, which is an open-source, modular infrastructure designed to simplify and accelerate intent-based interoperability.
Intents are user-friendly mechanisms that allow transactions to be executed automatically and optimally across blockchains. As a result, users don’t need to find different bridges and decentralized applications to perform simple transactions, such as a swap.
The initiative received support from 30 teams from the Ethereum ecosystem, including the largest layer-2 blockchains by total value locked, such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and Polygon.
Fragmented liquidity
Ethereum’s L2 ecosystem has over $36 billion in total value locked, fragmented in 59 rollups, based on L2Beat data.
The announcement highlighted that users engage with various DeFi applications across networks like Arbitrum, Mode, and Base. Additionally, major tech firms like Sony have entered the space with their own L2 solutions.
Despite these advancements, the lack of seamless interoperability across chains remains a significant barrier. The foundation aims to enhance the user experience by leveraging intents to unify the ecosystem, transforming it from a fragmented collection of L2s into a more cohesive network.
The Open Intent Framework is built on the ERC-7683 standard, proposed by Uniswap Labs, and the interoperability protocol Across, introduced in April 2024. This standard facilitates cross-chain intent agents, enabling smoother interactions between networks.
However, while intents offer an elegant solution, their adoption presents challenges. New chains must conduct extensive business development to secure support from existing protocols.
Modular tools
Running a solver — an agent responsible for executing transactions — requires significant investment due to liquidity management, settlement costs, and ongoing technical maintenance.
To address these hurdles, the framework introduces a suite of modular tools designed to simplify the creation and deployment of intent-based protocols. A TypeScript-based solver monitors on-chain events and executes intents, reducing reliance on proprietary infrastructure.
Composable smart contracts allow developers to create and settle intents more efficiently. A customizable user interface template is also included to improve accessibility and adoption.
By standardizing intent execution across Ethereum, the Open Intent Framework enables developers to build without reinventing core infrastructure, significantly reducing time-to-market and operational overhead.
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