Stellar launches cross-chain messaging with ethereum through VIA Labs

Stellar has gained a new cross-chain messaging connection to Ethereum after VIA Labs launched its interoperability infrastructure on mainnet, allowing Soroban smart contracts to communicate with contracts operating on Ethereum.

Summary

• VIA Labs launched bidirectional cross-chain messaging between Stellar's Soroban platform and Ethereum mainnet.
• Developers can use the integration for stablecoin transfers, tokenized assets and cross-chain smart contract execution.
• VIA's burn-and-mint reference implementation completes transfers in approximately one to three minutes.
• Stellar transfers incur normal network fees, while VIA waives protocol fees during the launch period.
• The integration arrives during Meridian alongside Securitize's tokenization plans and DTCC's planned Stellar rollout.

According to VIA Labs' deployment documentation, the integration supports messages traveling in both directions between Stellar and Ethereum, with separate deployments available on their respective test networks. The company announced the launch on October 28 during Stellar's Meridian conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Unlocking value for Stellar 💫

VIA is now live on mainnet, check it out: https://t.co/SKl8HUCelz --- Build on Stellar | Meridian Oct 28-29 (@BuildOnStellar) October 28, 2026

Developers can use the infrastructure to move supported tokens between networks, coordinate contract operations and develop applications involving stablecoins or tokenized real-world assets. VIA Labs has deployed a reference token called VIAT to demonstrate transfers through its messaging system.

VIA Labs connects Stellar's Soroban contracts to Ethereum

The integration gives developers a route for sending messages between Soroban, Stellar's smart contract platform, and Ethereum Virtual Machine contracts. Applications can initiate instructions on one blockchain and have the corresponding contract execute an action on the destination network.

VIA Labs identified cross-border stablecoin payments, transfers involving tokenized assets and automated contract execution as potential uses. Developers building these applications will need to integrate their own token contracts or message flows with VIA's infrastructure.

Its initial deployment connects Stellar mainnet with Ethereum mainnet. The company has published gateway and token contract addresses for both networks, allowing developers to identify the contracts supporting the service.

Stellar's developer account promoted the launch during Meridian, which ran from October 28 to 29. VIA Labs representative Jake Salthouse attended the Lisbon event to meet teams interested in integrating cross-chain functionality into their applications.

Stellar cross-chain transfers use validators and relayers

The reference VIAT implementation uses a burn-and-mint mechanism to move tokens between blockchains. When a user initiates a transfer, the originating contract burns the specified amount and creates a message containing the recipient's address, transfer amount and optional transaction memo.

VIA's validators monitor the originating gateway and sign the message. A relayer then submits the signed instructions to the destination gateway, which checks the signatures before directing the receiving token contract to mint the corresponding amount.

The company says this process maintains the total VIAT supply across the two chains while rejecting repeated messages. Its documentation puts normal transfer completion at approximately one to three minutes, depending on validator polling and delivery.

Stellar uses seven decimal places for token amounts, compared with Ethereum's 18. VIA's client handles the conversion so that a transfer of five VIAT from one network arrives as five VIAT on the other.

Transfers require ordinary blockchain transaction fees, paid in XLM on Stellar or gas on Ethereum. VIA is waiving its protocol fee on Stellar routes during the launch period, while its relayers cover destination-side transaction costs.

Users receiving tokens on Stellar must have an existing funded account. VIA warns that sending assets to an account that has never existed on the network can result in unrecoverable tokens.

Stellar expands interoperability beyond existing stablecoin connections

The launch follows Stellar's September introduction of USDT0 cross-chain liquidity, which connected the network to Tether-backed stablecoin transfers using LayerZero infrastructure.

As crypto.news previously reported, USDT0 launched with support from Kraken, Bitget, Fireblocks and other service providers. That integration focuses on transferring USDT-linked liquidity, while VIA's newly deployed system supports general contract messaging and developer-defined token operations.

The network has continued attracting firms developing tokenized financial products. On October 28, Securitize announced plans to add Stellar as its 17th supported blockchain for issuing and managing regulated assets.

Securitize provides tokenization services to institutions including BlackRock, Apollo and Hamilton Lane. Its Stellar integration remains a planned deployment, separate from VIA's operational Ethereum connection.

During Meridian, DTCC discussed its planned Stellar integration for tokenized securities. The financial market infrastructure provider recently launched its tokenization service with 20 participating institutions, while its public-network rollout is targeted for 2027.

VIA's Stellar integration introduces audited contracts

VIA Labs says the Stellar deployment uses its VG1 smart contracts, which underwent a security audit by Hashlock. The reference implementation relies on VIA-operated validators, gateways and relayers to authenticate and deliver cross-chain messages.

The protocol requires messages to originate from contracts, not directly from ordinary wallet accounts. Developers must therefore integrate the gateway through their applications, while users interact with the relevant token or service contract.

The company has published separate integration paths for developers launching their own tokens or custom cross-chain messages. Its documentation includes the reference burn-and-mint client, supported network identifiers and contract addresses for mainnet and testnet deployments.

For testing, VIA provides a faucet distributing 100 VIAT per request on Stellar testnet and Ethereum Sepolia. The company notes that Stellar's quarterly testnet resets require developers to update testnet addresses, while the published mainnet contract addresses remain unchanged.