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The increasing number of distinct blockchains has led to a growing need for data exchange and asset transfer across various isolated blockchains. To address this, cross-chain bridges have emerged as a critical mechanism for enabling interoperability and facilitating data and asset exchange across diverse blockchains. Among these bridges, the Layer-0 bridge stands out as a scalability solution that enhances blockchain performance at the foundational layer of data transition, without altering the blockchain's structure. Stargate is a notable Layer-0 Lock-and-Unlock cross-chain bridge that supports transactions across various EVM-based blockchains, with the highest Total Value Locked (TVL) among cross-chain bridges of the same kind. While previous cross-chain research has primarily focused on Layer-2 bridges, this study specifically examines Stargate and analyzes its dynamics as well as potential vulnerabilities. We collect transaction data of Stargate on six blockchains including Ethereum, Polygon, Binance Smart Chain, Avalanche, Arbitrum and Optimism. Our findings reveal the transaction patterns and evidence of exploitations of Stargate by investigating its transaction dynamics over time.
Huang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.