The Hemi Ethereum Tunnel is designed to support Ethereum and EVM-native asset movement back and forth from the origin chain to or from Hemi

Hemi Tunnels bring assets from Bitcoin and Ethereum together on a single unified network, raising the bar for cross-chain compatibility with a Bitcoin-aware EVM. The Hemi Ethereum Tunnel is designed to support Ethereum and EVM-native asset movement back and forth from the origin chain to or from Hemi. Like Hemi’s Bitcoin Tunnel, the EVM-facing Tunnel to Hemi operates with a trust-minimized model to eliminate common risks associated with other asset bridges.

Inside the Hemi Ethereum Tunnel

The Hemi Tunnel is accessible on the Hemi Portal, where users can select origin and destination chains and transfer supported EVM assets with a simple transaction.

Depositing EVM Assets With The Hemi Tunnel

When you use the Hemi Tunnel to deposit EVM-based assets, it initiates the lockup process, where the assets are secured via Hemi’s EVM-based validation smart contract. The smart contract follows a code-driven automated protocol without any single entity governing it. This process ensures rapid validation post-deposit authentication on the EVM side.

After a block containing the deposit transaction is verified on Ethereum, Hemi’s block derivation protocol activates. It signals the sequencer responsible for Hemi block generation and arrangement to include the deposit from the validated Ethereum block with the deposit information.

Once a deposit is assigned to a Hemi block, the representative tokens are minted directly onto Hemi, equivalent to the amount of tokens locked in the validation smart contract. Hemi offers a wide range of DeFi activities that support these tokens in an ecosystem of EVM-compatible dApps with native Bitcoin state awareness.

Withdrawing EVM Assets With The Hemi Tunnel

Withdrawing assets to their native chains through the Hemi Portal is seamless. Select the amount to transfer and the destination chain from Hemi, and sign the transaction.

When the Hemi Tunnel receives the withdrawal request, the amount of tokens to be transferred on Hemi is burned. The network, in turn, updates its state with the withdrawal request and burn transactions, serving as a cryptographic proof, and submits it to the burned asset’s native EVM chain.

Compared to other asset bridges, Hemi rapidly processes crosschain transfers, providing withdrawal proofs in around 40 minutes by using Bitcoin’s Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism to reach a state of superfinality. The network implements a decentralized Challenger role for dispute resolution.

A dispute-free withdrawal proof may be submitted for assets to be claimed from the Hemi validation contract, which may take up to 24 hours.

A Phased Development Approach

Hemi is rolling out the tunneling ecosystem in stages to balance usability, performance, and decentralization.

Phase 0 (Current)

The Hemi Ethereum Tunnel operates via an optimistic fault-dispute mechanism, with a decentralized Challenger operating within a dispute window. It supports EVM-based asset transfers to and from Hemi.

Phase 1 

Settlement will be enhanced with a Zero-Knowledge Proof-based (ZK proof-based) model shored up by an optimistic fallback should the ZK system experience failure. Support will be added for the transfer of Hemi-native assets and BTC-based assets to EVM chains.

Phase 2

A redundant ZK proof system will offer greater settlement security. EVM chain transfer support will be extended to all Hemi-native and BTC-based fungible and non-fungible assets, such as Ordinals.

Earn Points Tunneling To Hemi Now

During the Mainnet Season of the Hemi Points program, providing liquidity with hemiBTC remains one of the most effective point-earning strategies. Tunnel to Hemi and start earning immediately, with a 3x, 5x, or even 8x boost when you provide liquidity with hemiBTC in select pools with partners including Sushi, Oku, Izumi, and DODO.