Use Cases in DeFi, Gaming, NFTs, and DAOs

Omnichain smart contracts are already being deployed in real-world applications that benefit from multichain coordination. The most prominent area is decentralised finance (DeFi). In lending protocols, omnichain contracts allow users to deposit collateral on one chain and borrow on another. This improves capital efficiency by reducing idle liquidity and opening up arbitrage between markets.

For example, a protocol may enable users to supply USDC on Arbitrum and borrow DAI on Ethereum, with real-time balance and collateralisation checks powered by messaging protocols. This setup reduces fragmentation and allows protocols to build unified lending markets without replicating contracts or liquidity pools on every chain.

In gaming, omnichain logic enables cross-chain assets, achievements, and player states. A user might mint an in-game item on Polygon, use it in a match on Avalanche, and sell it on an NFT marketplace on Ethereum. Developers can coordinate these activities through messaging, ensuring consistency across environments without manual bridging.

NFT applications also benefit from omnichain architecture. Some projects use messaging to move NFTs across chains while preserving metadata, ownership history, and rarity. Others use omnichain NFTs to unlock different experiences on different chains—such as utility tokens on BNB Chain, art galleries on Solana, or DAO access on Ethereum.

Decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs) use omnichain contracts to synchronise governance actions. For example, a DAO may vote on Arbitrum, but execute treasury functions on Ethereum. Messaging allows these decisions to be securely transmitted and enforced without depending on centralised signers or multisigs. This preserves decentralisation while enabling flexible operations.

These use cases highlight the versatility of omnichain systems. Rather than trying to unify chains through one dominant network, omnichain dApps embrace the diversity of the ecosystem by connecting specialised functions across chains.

Composability with dApps: Session-Based Access and Approvals

Omnichain composability allows developers to treat contracts on multiple chains as part of a single application environment. One key innovation in this space is session-based access. Rather than requiring users to sign multiple transactions on each chain, a session key can be generated that grants temporary, scoped access to interact across chains. This makes omnichain dApps feel like single-page web apps, even though they span multiple networks.

Session keys can be customised to limit permissions—such as approving only token swaps, NFT transfers, or governance votes. These keys can also be revoked or timed out, enhancing security while reducing friction.

Delegated approvals are another emerging pattern. For example, a user might delegate claim rights on Ethereum to a contract on Polygon. Through messaging, the Polygon contract can initiate a function on Ethereum to trigger the claim, all within the rules of the original approval.

This level of composability introduces more expressive, modular applications that are not bound to one chain’s constraints. Developers can build financial, social, or gaming ecosystems where logic is distributed, but experience remains unified.

Gas Sponsors and Onboarding Flows

For omnichain applications to reach mainstream users, they must remove onboarding barriers—especially those involving gas fees and unfamiliar chains. This is where gas sponsorship becomes critical. Using paymasters or custom relayers, applications can cover the gas costs of destination-chain transactions, allowing users to interact without holding native tokens like ETH or AVAX.

Some protocols offer integrated gas abstraction services, while others allow developers to plug in their own sponsors. This is particularly useful in user onboarding, where new users may interact with a dApp without knowing which chain is being used in the background. The app handles execution and costs, while the user sees only a seamless interaction.

These flows are especially impactful in emerging markets, where users may have limited access to wallets, exchanges, or technical support. By abstracting away gas and cross-chain complexity, omnichain dApps can reach wider audiences and support more inclusive Web3 adoption.

Current Limitations and Technical Challenges

Despite the promise of omnichain architecture, several limitations remain. The first is latency. Cross-chain messages often require confirmations from the source chain, message relaying, and validation on the destination. This process introduces delay, especially for time-sensitive applications like trading or liquidations. While messaging protocols are improving in speed, real-time performance remains a challenge.

Security is another concern. Messaging relies on verification mechanisms—whether through oracles, validators, or relayers. If any part of this system is compromised, it can lead to replay attacks, fraudulent execution, or fund loss. Some bridges and messaging layers have been exploited in the past, highlighting the need for better audits, redundancy, and decentralised validation.

Tooling and developer experience are still catching up. Most frameworks require developers to manage multiple deployments, track contract addresses, and maintain off-chain routing logic. While SDKs like LayerZero’s and Axelar’s simplify integration, debugging and error handling can still be complex.

Another barrier is standard adoption. Each messaging protocol has its own format for sending and receiving messages. This fragmentation makes it difficult to build truly chain-agnostic applications unless the developer chooses one ecosystem or builds redundant support across protocols.

Finally, cost can be a limiting factor. Each message involves gas on the source and destination chains, plus any fees charged by oracles or relayers. For high-frequency messaging or consumer apps, these costs can become significant.

The Road Ahead: ERC-6900 and Modular Account Architecture

The future of omnichain smart contracts lies in modularity. One of the most important developments in this area is the emergence of ERC-6900, a proposed standard for modular smart accounts. It allows contracts to be composed from multiple plug-in modules—such as signing logic, session keys, gas handling, and access controls—without redeploying the entire contract.

This standard will make it easier to build smart accounts that work across chains, manage cross-chain approvals, and execute bundled actions. It also creates space for custom modules that support specific messaging protocols, turning smart accounts into truly omnichain agents.

In addition, chain abstraction is becoming a design goal. Developers increasingly want to build applications where users don’t need to know what chain they are interacting with. Projects like Stackr, LayerZero V2, and Particle Network are working on account abstraction layers that make this possible. These systems aim to hide the underlying chain while managing logic, keys, and state across networks.

As messaging protocols improve and adoption grows, we may also see interoperability standards emerge. These could allow different messaging layers to communicate with one another, reducing ecosystem lock-in and enabling omnichain contracts to choose the best path dynamically.