Since Bitcoin's emergence in 2009 and the subsequent surge of innovation, the Web3 industry has encountered numerous hurdles. Alongside regulatory challenges and the quest for enhanced user experience, blockchain engineers grapple with two primary obstacles: scalability and interoperability.

While various Layer 2 solutions strive to enhance the scalability of Layer 1 blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum by bolstering throughput and reducing transaction fees, protocols such as Union aim to achieve both scalability and interoperability.

The importance of blockchain interoperability cannot be overstated. As highlighted in a 2020 whitepaper by the World Economic Forum, organizations are wary of committing to blockchain platforms that might restrict their ability to collaborate externally in the future. This analogy draws parallels to the early days of email when interoperability was crucial for seamless communication.

Cosmos stands out in the interoperability realm with its Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol, facilitating connections between sovereign chains for transactions, token swaps, and other operations without sacrificing autonomy. The recent Map of Zones showcases 91 connected zones transacting over $2.1 billion in the last month alone.

While existing bridging solutions have mostly been centralized, Union offers a permissionless bridging protocol supported by key players like Composable Finance, Consensys, Tokensoft, and Polygon Labs. Leveraging advanced zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography, Union connects modular blockchains and rollups trustlessly, eliminating the need for trusted third parties.

Union's recent collaboration with Polygon Labs promises to bridge the gap between the Polygon and Cosmos ecosystems, enabling seamless asset transfers and message passing. This permissionless connectivity extends beyond specific chains, potentially opening doors to millions of interconnected chains.

Karel Kubat, Union's founder and former CTO at Composable Finance, emphasizes the importance of sovereignty in blockchain applications, envisioning a future where Union facilitates seamless transitions for existing Ethereum-based apps to alternative chains.

With Union's ambitious roadmap, including plans for an IBC to Polygon bridge by year's end, the prospect of a highly interconnected blockchain landscape grows ever closer. Stay updated on Union's progress by following their developments on X.