Enhancing Blockchain Cross Chain Interoperability: A Comprehensive Survey
Zhihong Deng, Chunming Tang, Taotao Li, Parhat Abla, Qi Chen, Wei Liang, Debiao He
TL;DR
This survey comprehensively maps blockchain interoperability (CCI) by systematically analyzing over $150$ high‑impact sources from 2016–2024 to classify more than ten technology families (e.g., Atomic Swaps, Notary Bridges, Light Clients, Sidechains, Chain Relays, Rollups, and Sharding). It defines data, value, and functional cross‑chain interoperability, presents a generic atomicity paradigm, and contrasts native, local, and external verification modes. The work also catalogs representative industry platforms (Interledger, Cosmos, Polkadot, LayerZero, RSK, HyperService) and outlines future research avenues (redactable blockchains, asynchronous consensus) and key challenges (trust models, regulation, fragmentation). By articulating a structured knowledge framework and strategic directions, the paper highlights interoperability as essential for scalable, multi‑chain ecosystems while stressing the need for standardization and collaboration among academia, industry, and policymakers. The findings imply that robust CCI solutions can reduce liquidity fragmentation, lower costs, and enhance cross‑chain application deployment, provided cryptographic primitives, governance, and regulatory alignment advance in tandem with technical innovations.
Abstract
Blockchain technology, introduced in 2008, has revolutionized data storage and transfer across sectors such as finance, healthcare, intelligent transportation, and the metaverse. However, the proliferation of blockchain systems has led to discrepancies in architectures, consensus mechanisms, and data standards, creating data and value silos that hinder the development of an integrated multi chain ecosystem. Blockchain interoperability (a.k.a cross chain interoperability) has thus emerged as a solution to enable seamless data and asset exchange across disparate blockchains. In this survey, we systematically analyze over 150 high impact sources from academic journals, digital libraries, and grey literature to provide an in depth examination of blockchain interoperability. By exploring the existing methods, technologies, and architectures, we offer a classification of interoperability approaches including Atomic Swaps, Sidechains, Light Clients, and so on, which represent the most comprehensive overview to date. Furthermore, we investigate the convergence of academic research with industry practices, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing blockchain innovation. Finally, we identify key strategic insights, challenges, and future research trajectories in this field. Our findings aim to support researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders in understanding and harnessing the transformative potential of blockchain interoperability to address current challenges and drive forward a cohesive multi-chain ecosystem.