Darius Baruo
Jan 19, 2026 12:06
TOKI launches unified liquidity pools connecting Ethereum and BNB Chain through IBC protocol, marking significant cross-chain expansion for Cosmos ecosystem.
TOKI has officially connected Ethereum and BNB Chain using the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol, enabling seamless asset swaps between two of crypto’s largest ecosystems through unified liquidity pools. The integration, announced in February 2025, represents a significant expansion of Cosmos’s interoperability technology beyond its native ecosystem.
The development comes as ATOM trades at $2.39, down 4.91% over the past 24 hours, with a market cap of $1.158 billion. The price action reflects broader concerns about the Cosmos ecosystem’s trajectory, with recent reports highlighting project departures from the network.
IBC Breaks Out of Cosmos
What makes TOKI’s implementation notable: it’s bringing IBC—originally designed for Cosmos-based chains—to EVM-compatible networks. The protocol now enables direct swaps between Ethereum and BNB Chain assets without requiring users to navigate multiple bridges or wrapped token mechanics.
The unified liquidity pool approach differs from traditional bridging solutions. Rather than locking assets on one chain and minting synthetic versions on another, TOKI’s model pools liquidity across networks, potentially reducing slippage and improving capital efficiency for cross-chain traders.
Ecosystem Momentum Despite ATOM Struggles
The Cosmos ecosystem continues expanding its IBC infrastructure even as its native token faces headwinds. According to recent ecosystem analysis, over 200 blockchains now run on the Cosmos stack in production, with IBC processing billions in cross-chain transfers.
Several parallel developments reinforce the interoperability push. Elys Network, which added ATOM-secured liquidity layer functionality in January 2025, aims to optimize DeFi liquidity across the entire Cosmos ecosystem. Meanwhile, Union is working to extend IBC capabilities across any blockchain ecosystem, not just Cosmos-native chains.
TOKI’s enterprise ambitions extend further. Project Pax, a collaboration with Japanese firms Progmat and Datachain announced in September 2024, targets cross-border stablecoin transfers for institutional clients—a use case that could bring regulated financial institutions into the IBC ecosystem.
Trading Implications
For traders, the Ethereum-BNB Chain connection via IBC opens arbitrage opportunities between the two networks without typical bridge delays. The unified liquidity model should also mean tighter spreads on cross-chain swaps compared to fragmented liquidity across multiple bridges.
The timing presents a mixed picture. While Cosmos’s technical infrastructure gains adoption, recent warnings about major projects exiting the ecosystem have sparked viability concerns. ATOM’s recognition as a top 2026 interoperability project contrasts with its struggling price action.
THORChain’s recent integration with Cosmos’s interchain infrastructure, highlighted in October 2024, suggests established DeFi protocols see value in the IBC standard. Whether expanded cross-chain connectivity translates to ATOM price recovery remains the open question as the ecosystem balances technical wins against competitive pressures from rival interoperability solutions.
Image source: Shutterstock
Source: https://blockchain.news/news/toki-bridges-ethereum-bnb-chain-ibc-cosmos-expansion
