Aleo Launches Secure Bridge Framework with Predicate

Effective risk management is fundamental to the Aleo Network Foundation’s (ANF) mission— for onchain privacy to thrive, it must be sustainable and compliant. Achieving this balance isn’t easy, especially for privacy-preserving bridges. That’s why the ANF introduced ARC-100 - a standard to ensure Aleo bridges meet key regulatory and security requirements while maintaining the network’s core privacy guarantees.

After months of development and exploration, Predicate now makes it seamless to meet these requirements. By integrating with Aleo, Predicate provides a standardized, scalable framework for compliant Ethereum bridges. Today, the first deployment of Predicate is live on the Verulink bridge

Private, Secure, and Compliant Bridges

Securing cross-chain bridges at the smart contract level has been a fundamental obstacle to private interoperability. Predicate addresses this through a novel approach leveraging pre-transaction computation, implemented via a network of trusted operators, including organizations like Figment, Nethermind, and Pier Two.

The system processes bridge transactions through predicate functions, which are specialized verification operations that return boolean results. ARC-100 specifications are incorporated into a Predicate policy, which can be adopted as a comprehensive framework for bridge security across the Aleo ecosystem. 

Verulink is the first bridge from Ethereum to Aleo to go live with a Predicate policy this week. The Verulink bridge has integrated Predicate with a policy that follows the ARC-100 standards for risk management best practices. Predicate’s onchain policy will allow for fast and flexible risk management verifications, which will minimize bridging latency.

Bridge integrations require two Predicate touchpoints: a frontend request system for operator signatures and a smart contract verification layer. The protocol maintains O(1) verification complexity with sub-second latency, processing validations through zero-knowledge circuits to ensure transaction privacy. 

By narrowing down this implementation, the Predicate team found the missing piece in the puzzle for building scalable and compliant bridges on Aleo.

Experience ARC-100 in Action

Partnerships like this one are what the Aleo Network Foundation is passionate about nurturing in the network. Making ARC-100 a reality was no easy feat, and we’re thankful for the dedication and effort the Predicate and V23 teams put into bringing this implementation to fruition.

If you’re interested in using Verulink to bridge to the Aleo Network, you can do so right here. We’ll also soon share a case study that elaborates on the specific technical details and considerations needed to launch the first ARC-100-compliant bridge on the Aleo Network.