Union Labs: Cross-chain Solution for Crypto

1. Introduction to Union – A Cross-chain Bridge for the Crypto World

In the modern crypto landscape, interoperability among blockchains plays a crucial role in expanding the Web3 ecosystem. Union was created with the goal of becoming a cutting-edge cross-chain crypto protocol, applying Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) to ensure security, decentralization, and transparency when transmitting data, assets, and states across chains.

Union is the flagship product of Union Labs, designed to eliminate reliance on third parties such as oracles, multi-signature wallets, or MPCs. Instead, it leverages the native consensus mechanisms of participating blockchains for state verification.

2. Union's Modular Architecture – 4 Layers for Performance and Security

Union is built on a powerful modular infrastructure, composed of four core layers:

1. Prove & Verify Layer

Prove Module: Utilizes ZKP and CometBLS consensus to generate cryptographic proofs that are tamper-proof. This mechanism validates states and transaction finality across blockchains securely and efficiently.

Verify Module: Integrates Light Clients and Proof Aggregators to reduce verification costs and enhance performance in cross-chain transaction processing—without the need for third-party supervision.

2. Connections & Channels Layer

Union adopts the concept of chain abstraction, simplifying interactions with various clients and protocols. This allows users and dApps to interact with multiple blockchains without worrying about the complexity behind the scenes.

3. Relaying Layer

Union’s Voyager system handles the relaying of data and transactions between blockchains. It plays a vital role in maintaining speed and reliability for cross-chain requests.

4. Application Layer

This is where developers build cross-chain dApps powered by Union. Whether it’s DeFi, NFTs, or complex decentralized applications, all can utilize Union to connect across ecosystems securely and seamlessly.

3. Founding Team and Investment Potential

Union Labs was founded by:

Karel – CEO

Cor – CTO

Emir – Head of Business Development

The project successfully raised $16 million in two funding rounds:

Seed Round (Oct 2023): $2 million from Nascent, Tioga Capital, and Semantic Ventures.

Series A (Dec 2024): $12 million from LongHash Ventures, gumi Crypto, and Borderless Capital.

The backing of top-tier investors highlights Union’s strong potential in the crypto cross-chain ecosystem.

4. Competitors and Similar Projects

Polyhedra Network: A ZKP-focused infrastructure project aiming to improve scalability and security.

Polymer: A Layer 2 solution on Ethereum that uses Cosmos’s IBC protocol for cross-chain interoperability.

Conclusion

Union exemplifies the shift in the crypto space toward seamless cross-chain interaction—crucial for real-world scalability and use cases. With its smart modular architecture, ZKP technology, and strong VC support, Union is positioning itself as one of the most promising crypto cross-chain protocols on the market today.