Chainlink launched CCIP 2.0 on Monday, expanding its cross-chain bridge infrastructure to let institutions deploy custom verifiers in addition to Chainlink's default verification layer. The upgrade enables banks and crypto projects to move tokenized assets—including stablecoins, wrapped Bitcoin, and tokenized funds—between blockchains with greater flexibility in security arrangements.
The new feature, called the Cross-Chain Verifier (CCV), allows institutions to run their own independent verification node or hire one from firms like Infosys or Nethermind. Starter kits are available on Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.
Default Security Remains
Chainlink's base verification system continues to operate unchanged. A committee of 16 independent node operators must reach consensus on every transfer, serving as the default check for all transactions on the network.
However, the Risk Management Network—a separate set of nodes that previously performed secondary verification—is no longer active in current CCIP deployments. According to Chainlink's documentation, the Risk Management Network may be offered as an optional validation layer in future releases. Chainlink says institutions can obtain equivalent independent verification through optional CCVs instead.
Context: Kelp Hack and Market Shift
The CCIP 2.0 launch comes five months after the April hack of Kelp DAO, where attackers linked to North Korea's Lazarus Group took approximately $292 million from the protocol. The Kelp bridge operated on LayerZero infrastructure with a single verifier—a configuration LayerZero later stopped supporting for new deployments. Dispute persists over whether LayerZero's team approved the setup or whether it violated LayerZero's recommendations.
Following the Kelp incident, several major institutions migrated to Chainlink infrastructure. Kelp DAO itself moved to Chainlink, as did Kraken and Lombard Finance, which transferred over $1 billion in Bitcoin-linked assets.
Broader Asset Growth
Chainlink reports that $15 billion in tokenized assets migrated onto its platform in the four months preceding the CCIP 2.0 launch. This includes wrapped Bitcoin from BitGo and Coinbase's cbBTC, with many of these assets now underlying ETFs and bank products used by mainstream investors.
The company states that CCIP secures more than $84 billion in cross-chain token value. Eighteen companies are listed as launch partners, though several partnerships remain prospective rather than operationally confirmed on the new verifiers at launch.
