TOKI Bridges Ethereum and BNB Chain via IBC as Cosmos Ecosystem Expands
Lawrence Jengar Feb 12, 2026 04:58
TOKI launches IBC-based bridge connecting Ethereum and BNB Chain with unified liquidity pools, marking significant cross-chain expansion for Cosmos technology.
TOKI has officially launched an Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) bridge connecting Ethereum and BNB Chain, enabling direct asset swaps between two of crypto's largest ecosystems through unified liquidity pools. The integration, announced February 19, 2025, represents a major milestone for IBC technology beyond its native Cosmos environment.
The development comes as Cosmos (ATOM) trades at $1.94 with a market cap of $951 million, down 0.38% over 24 hours. The ecosystem now powers over 150 blockchains in production, according to Interchain Foundation data.
IBC Breaks Out of Cosmos
TOKI's bridge marks a significant technical achievement. IBC—originally designed for communication between Cosmos SDK chains—now enables cross-chain swaps between EVM-compatible networks. Users can swap assets directly between Ethereum and BNB Chain without traditional wrapped token mechanics.
The unified liquidity pool approach differs from conventional bridge architectures. Rather than fragmenting liquidity across multiple pools, TOKI aggregates it, potentially reducing slippage for traders moving between chains.
Enterprise Adoption Accelerates
TOKI isn't stopping at retail DeFi. The project partnered with Progmat and Datachain on Project Pax, announced September 2024, to build a cross-border stablecoin transfer platform for enterprises using IBC infrastructure. The initiative targets institutional-grade settlement solutions.
Meanwhile, Elys Network launched in January 2025 as a universal liquidity layer secured by ATOM staking, adding another DeFi primitive to the ecosystem. The project aims to optimize liquidity flows across Cosmos chains while providing integrated trading tools.
Ecosystem Challenges Persist
The expansion arrives amid mixed signals for Cosmos. Bithumb recently paused ATOM transfers for a network upgrade on February 11, 2026—routine maintenance, but a reminder of ongoing infrastructure work. More concerning: multiple Cosmos-based projects shut down in November 2025, citing weak growth and developer exodus.
The Cosmos Hub also scrapped plans for a native EVM platform in July 2025, pivoting back toward core interoperability strengths. Whether IBC's expansion to external chains can offset internal ecosystem pressures remains the key question for ATOM holders watching these developments.
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