Introducing Native Token Transfers: A new open framework for making any token natively multichain

Wormhole is leading the way in blockchain interoperability, focusing on creating resilient, future-proof decentralized systems that prioritize ownership, control, and permissionless innovation. This vision is underpinned by a commitment to technical expertise, ethical principles, and community alignment, aimed at redefining the interoperability landscape with simplicity, clarity, and an expansive suite of multichain solutions. 

With the rise of zero-knowledge proofs, scaling solutions, and feature-rich token standards, blockchains are becoming more powerful — and trusted interoperability rails are becoming more critical. At the same time, applications are innovating rapidly, introducing novel governance systems and utilities for assets across the network. Protocol builders are now thinking about how best to build resilient systems in this emerging multichain environment without sacrificing the flexibility to evolve over time.

Wormhole Native Token Transfers (NTT) introduces an open, flexible, and composable framework for transferring native tokens across blockchains while preserving their intrinsic properties. Building with NTT empowers teams to develop cross-chain protocols with an open framework that supports protocol evolution over a long time horizon. Projects built on NTT retain control over their tokens' behavior on each chain, including customizability, metadata, and ownership/upgradeability, enabling them to integrate with any kind of token standard or governance system. 

For existing token deployments, the framework can be used in “locking” mode which preserves the original token supply on a single chain while enabling seamless cross-chain transfers. Otherwise, the framework can be deployed in “burning” mode to deploy natively multichain tokens with supply distributed among multiple chains.

NTT is powering natively multichain tokens for industry-leading projects like Lido, ether.fi, Puffer Finance, PIKE, and Wormhole.

Key Features of Native Token Transfers

NTT enables protocols to seamlessly transfer tokens between blockchains via a one-step process to access more users, reduce liquidity fragmentation, and benefit from unique multichain functionality.

• Unified Multichain User Experience: Tokens maintain their inherent properties on each chain, resulting in an authentic, canonical multichain token.
• No Liquidity Pools: Users can transfer tokens without LP fees, slippage, or MEV risk.
• Integrator Flexibility: Projects built with Native Token Transfers maintain ownership, upgrade authority, and customizability of their tokens. NTT can integrate with any token contract or standard and any protocol governance processes.
• Broad Composability: NTT is an open-source, extensible token transfer standard built to be adopted widely across the interoperability ecosystem. Projects can use the NTT framework to build unique, customized functionality. 
• Custom Token Deployments: NTT is designed to support a variety of token deployments, featuring custom verifiers and flexible attestation to meet unique requirements.  
• Defense-in-Depth Security: Configure inbound and outbound per-chain rate limits. Leverage the Wormhole Guardians to enforce global accounting integrity checks to ensure that there cannot be more tokens transferred out of a chain than were ever transferred in.

An Open Framework Made for Any Token

Utilize the flexible framework for token transfers tailored to meet the unique requirements of your project. Whether deploying new tokens via a pure multichain “burn” mode, where native tokens are burned on the source chain and minted on the destination chain, or taking existing tokens natively multichain with a mechanism that locks them on the source chain and mints a new custom token on the destination chain (“lock” mode), NTT is designed to accommodate various kinds of token deployments. If your project has unique requirements, NTT offers support and customizations to ensure you can securely and effectively transition to a multichain environment.

Secure Cross-Chain Transfers

Native Token Transfers is backed by Wormhole’s tested security and efficiency.

• Wormhole Messaging: Leverage the leading interoperability protocol with over 1 billion secure cross-chain messages sent to grow your project quickly and securely. 
• Security Features: Native Token Transfers implements advanced security features such as access controls, pausing, configurable rate-limiting, and a global balance accounting integrity checker.
• Custom Attestation: For protocols that need extra security, NTT supports adding custom message verification in addition to the Wormhole Guardians, and configuring message attestation thresholds between verifiers.

Get Started with Native Token Transfers

Wormhole Native Token Transfers (NTT) provides a new framework for seamless and secure native token interoperability across blockchains — preserving token characteristics and addressing liquidity fragmentation. By providing full control over token behavior, extensive composability, and robust security features, NTT empowers projects to enhance their multichain functionality and user experience. Get started with NTT today to access your project's full multichain potential.

About Wormhole

Wormhole is the leading interoperability platform that powers multichain applications and bridges at scale. Wormhole provides developers access to liquidity and users on over 30 of the leading blockchain networks, enabling use cases that span DeFi, NFTs, governance, and more.

The wider Wormhole network is trusted and used by teams like Circle and Uniswap, and to date, the platform has facilitated the transfer of over 35 billion dollars through over 1 billion cross-chain messages. To learn more about Wormhole, visit the Wormhole website, Twitter, Discord, or blog.