What Ethereum is
Ethereum is a public blockchain with smart contracts, launched in July 2015. There is no company, CEO or board behind it: a broad group of contributors maintains it, changes go through public Ethereum Improvement Proposals, and the Ethereum Foundation helps fund research and development. Since September 2022 it has run on proof of stake.
Its native asset is ether (ETH), and most fungible tokens on it, stablecoins included, follow the ERC-20 standard. Layer 2 networks such as Arbitrum and Base post their transactions to it. For a custody module, Ethereum is a family as much as a chain, which is why ours supports it together with its layer twos.
What it does in your platform
Custody & wallets
Gives each customer an Ethereum deposit address that receives ETH and the ERC-20 tokens you list, finds incoming transfers in new blocks and token transfer events, and credits them under your confirmation rules. Withdrawals are signed under policy and followed until they are final.
How the connection works
The module reads Ethereum over JSON-RPC, from your own node or a node provider such as Infura, Alchemy or QuickNode, and signs through your custody provider or your own keys.
An address per customer
The module gives the customer an Ethereum address. The same address receives ETH and every ERC-20 token you support.
Every 12 seconds
Ethereum runs in 12-second slots, each with room for one block, and the module reads every block for ETH transfers and token transfer events to your addresses.
Confirmed, then final
Your rules decide when a deposit counts: after a set number of blocks, or once its block is finalised, after which reverting it would mean losing at least a third of all staked ETH.
Screened and credited
The deposit is screened and credited, and the movement appears in the backoffice.
A withdrawal signed
After limits, screening and approvals, the transaction is signed by your custody provider or your own keys and sent to the network.
Followed to the end
The module tracks the transaction until it is final and reconciles the movement with the chain.
Next to other chains
Arbitrum, Base, Polygon and BNB Chain are EVM chains too. They share Ethereum's address format and node interface, so the module runs them on the same connector with their own settings, and adding another EVM chain is mostly configuration.
Each chain keeps its own node access, tokens and confirmation rules, and the ledger keeps every asset as its own currency. A stablecoin on Ethereum and the same stablecoin on Base are separate balances, never mixed.
When Ethereum fits best
A strong fit when
- Your customers hold ETH and ERC-20 tokens, stablecoins among them.
- You want one connector that also reaches Ethereum's layer twos and other EVM chains.
- You want deterministic finality to decide when large deposits count.
Also worth a look
- An Ethereum layer 2 such as Arbitrum or Base, for quicker everyday transfers.
- Tron or Solana, if your customers mostly move stablecoins on those networks.
How we get you live
Node access
We connect the module to Ethereum through your own node or a node provider such as Infura, Alchemy or QuickNode.
Custody and tokens
We check that your custody provider supports Ethereum and each token you list, or set up your own keys, and add every token by its contract address.
Confirmation rules
We agree with you when a deposit counts: after a set number of blocks, or at finality.
A testnet run
The whole flow runs on Sepolia, the testnet ethereum.org recommends for applications, before real funds move.
