Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC)
A standardized protocol that lets independent blockchains within an ecosystem communicate and transfer assets directly, without relying on a separate third-party bridge.
Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) is a standardized protocol, most prominently used within the Cosmos ecosystem, that lets independent blockchains communicate and transfer assets directly with one another, without relying on a separate third-party bridge operator.
This is a structurally different interoperability approach from a traditional lock-and-mint bridge (see Kaavon's "Lock-and-Mint" glossary definition) built on top of two otherwise-unrelated chains — IBC is built into participating chains' own native consensus and verification process. See Kaavon's "Interoperability Between Blockchains" guide for how this compares to other cross-chain approaches.
Examples
- IBC-connected chains within the Cosmos ecosystem can transfer assets between each other without relying on a separate third-party bridge contract.
- IBC's native, protocol-level verification is a structurally different interoperability approach from a bridge built on top of two otherwise-unrelated chains.