The DFINITY Foundation, renowned for its work on the Internet Computer blockchain, announced on 22 May the release of the EVM RPC and a new stablecoin, ckUSDC. These innovations are designed to enhance interoperability across multiple blockchains and expand decentralized finance (DeFi) utility within the ecosystem.

EVM RPC

Lomesh Dutta, VP of Growth at DFINITY, stated, “Reaching the Tritium milestone with the EVM RPC enables Internet Computer smart contracts to read and write to any blockchain supporting the Ethereum JSON-RPC protocol.” JSON-RPC, or JavaScript Object Notation-Remote Procedure Call, is a protocol for sending commands and receiving responses in a standardized way across different operating systems, utilizing the lightweight JSON data format.

The new EVM RPC simplifies the development of multi-chain decentralized applications (dApps) by allowing direct interactions with blockchains such as Optimism, Arbitrum, and Base. Developers can integrate additional EVMs as needed. Early feedback from adopters like IC Lighthouse and Helix Markets has highlighted its potential to streamline operations and integration across various networks.

Introducing ckUSDC

DFINITY also unveiled ckUSDC, a stablecoin directly pegged to USDC and integrated into the Internet Computer network. As a “twin token,” ckUSDC offers the usual stablecoin benefits, such as serving as a medium of exchange and store of value, while also providing faster transactions and reduced costs typical of the Internet Computer (ICP). It supports trading pairs like ckBTC/ckUSDC, ckETH/ckUSDC, and ICP/ckUSDC, facilitating secure transactions across different chains.

Through these launches, DFINITY aims to improve blockchain interoperability and liquidity, bridging various communities. The foundation encourages further adoption of ckUSDC among developers and users by allowing community proposals for additional ERC20 twins on the Internet Computer network.