A bridge between the soon-to-be-launched Shiba Inu-based layer-2 blockchain Shibarium and Ethereum is live for public testing, allowing users to transfer tokens between the two networks, said Shytoshi Kusama, chief developer of Shibarium. The bridge will initially enable users to transfer testnet ether tokens to Shibarium, which is set to launch next month. Each transfer is expected to take up to 30 minutes, and real assets are not yet supported.
Layer-2 refers to a set of off-chain systems, or separate blockchains, built on top of layer-1 protocols. This helps reduce bottlenecks with scaling and data, as multiple off-chain transactions are bundled into a single layer-1 transaction, reducing data load and fees. DoggyDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) governed by token holders, will also start operations when Shibarium goes live and will be used to fund projects building on the blockchain.
The testnet has seen significant activity in the past months, with 27 million transactions from an estimated 16 million wallets as of July. This indicates a high demand for the network. Developers have previously stated that Shibarium will focus on metaverse and gaming applications, especially as the non-fungible token (NFT) sector is expected to grow in the coming years.