Squid Powers Cross-Chain Functionality in Decentraland

Squid has recently made a significant announcement: it is now facilitating cross-chain functionality within Decentraland, a leading virtual world ecosystem. Built on Axelar, Squid will enable cross-chain transactions for NFT purchases.

When you select to buy an NFT with an alternate asset in your wallet from a Decentraland-compatible chain (like Ethereum or Polygon), Squid efficiently processes your order behind the scenes. The transaction converts your chosen asset to $MANA and then finalizes your NFT acquisition within approximately 20 seconds.

A Strategic Move for Ecosystem Growth

The main objective behind this initiative is to enhance interoperability and accessibility across Decentraland’s ecosystem. This move is set to benefit a wide range of stakeholders, including content creators, players, and contributors, by simplifying interactions within the digital space.

Despite integrating various tokens, the utility of Decentraland’s native token, $MANA, remains integral. The approach of interoperability is not to sideline $MANA but to complement it, allowing users to leverage their native holdings alongside other tokens in the marketplace.

The Mechanics of Squid’s Integration

Squid’s approach to this integration is based on a straightforward principle: it will route orders across chains in the background once a user executes a request to purchase an NFT. Squid estimates the completion time for this process to be around 20 seconds, marking a notable advancement in transaction efficiency.

For users looking to utilize this new feature, the process begins with connecting their wallets to Decentraland. Once connected, they can navigate to the ‘Collectibles’ tab. A notable change here is introducing a ‘buy with crypto’ button, replacing the previous’ buy with $MANA’ option. This includes the flexibility to switch to different networks per the user’s preference.

Upon completing the transaction, the purchased NFT will automatically be added to the user’s ‘wardrobe’. This enhancement in Decentraland’s platform closely follows Squid’s recent launch of the Squid NFT Checkout feature, which aims to simplify the NFT purchase process by exploiting the cross-chain functionality.

With the introduction of NFT Checkout, Squid addresses and eliminates the common limitations users face in the NFT marketplace. These limitations often include restrictions on purchasing NFTs with select tokens and specific chains, which can hinder accessibility. Squid’s solution removes these constraints, offering a more inclusive and flexible buying experience.