t3rn and Web3 Foundation

Jacob Kowalewski

Apr 20, 2021

In 2020 t3rn received a grant from Web3 Foundation to deliver a proof of concept of an innovative solution for bringing smart contract interoperability to blockchain technology, starting with the Polkadot ecosystem. 

We have now completed the final milestone, demonstrating how fail-safe composable smart contract execution can be done through t3rn’s unique Gateway solution. 

Interoperability proof of concept

The grant provided to t3rn was divided into four distinct milestones:

  1. Initial structure and gateways API

  2. Gateway engine

  3. Gateway standards

  4. Package compilation tools

The final milestone was delivered in December 2020. It involved creating the compilation tool that translates smart contracts and modules into packages, making them composable. These packages could then be executed separately on different Gateways, while functioning in the context of overall multi-step, interoperable transaction execution. Finally, t3rn demonstrated the execution on a standalone Gateway, detailed in the documentation delivered to Web3 Foundation. This provided a full proof of concept showing that t3rn’s answer to smart contract interoperability was a feasible solution to a problem that has plagued the blockchain industry since its inception. 

A full breakdown of each milestone can be found here.

t3rn explained

t3rn is a hosting platform for smart contracts that makes execution across multiple, independent blockchains possible.

t3rn was created to enable trust-free collaboration within the Polkadot ecosystem and harness this synergy to mould an ecosystem in which any developer who would like to deploy a blockchain agnostic smart contract smart contract can do so easily. t3rn aims to ultimately operate as a parachain within Polkadot to ensure unparalleled security and stability throughout the t3rn offering. The t3rn offering places great emphasis on remunerating the developers within blockchain ecosystems, as opposed to miners, by allowing them to make their smart contracts available to all t3rn users and be rewarded every time their smart contract is used. 

More information can be found in this blog post

A full explanation of all how t3rn functions to achieve the outcomes mentioned above can be found in the t3rn whitepaper.

Moving forward

t3rn will continue to work to ensure the development of meaningful protocols for the benefit of the Polkadot ecosystem and the benefit of blockchain as a whole. 

Learn more about Web3 Foundation by visiting their website. Keep up to date with developments in the Polkadot ecosystem on Twitter, or join in the conversation on Reddit.

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Dec 18, 2025

t3rn is pausing its committee governance system to pivot from a model that rewarded staked positioning to one that prioritizes active protocol contribution. While the technical infrastructure was successful, the suspension allows the team to restructure governance toward a more sustainable model where rewards are tied to measurable impact and community growth rather than passive participation. Moving forward, engagement will center on an ambassador-led approach that recognizes high-value contributors, while all staked assets remain entirely secure and under user control. This strategic shift ensures that governance resources are directed toward those building the ecosystem's future through clear deliverables and dedicated community leadership.

Dec 16, 2025

As multichain activity becomes a core part of Web3, simple asset transfers via bridges are no longer enough to support increasingly complex cross-chain workflows. While bridges effectively move assets between chains, they stop short of coordinating multi-step actions, leaving users exposed to partial executions, higher costs, and manual failure handling. t3rn addresses this gap by with cross-chain execution: an outcome-driven, atomic approach where all actions across multiple chains either complete together or fully revert. Rather than managing individual transactions, users define the desired result, and the protocol guarantees execution without leaving funds in unintended states. By operating above bridges and messaging protocols, t3rn provides execution-level interoperability, enabling safer, more reliable multichain applications as blockchain ecosystems continue to fragment and scale.

Dec 18, 2025

t3rn is pausing its committee governance system to pivot from a model that rewarded staked positioning to one that prioritizes active protocol contribution. While the technical infrastructure was successful, the suspension allows the team to restructure governance toward a more sustainable model where rewards are tied to measurable impact and community growth rather than passive participation. Moving forward, engagement will center on an ambassador-led approach that recognizes high-value contributors, while all staked assets remain entirely secure and under user control. This strategic shift ensures that governance resources are directed toward those building the ecosystem's future through clear deliverables and dedicated community leadership.

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  • Explore new worlds with t3rn, there's a lot out there.

  • Explore new worlds with t3rn, there's a lot out there.

©2025 t3rn. All rights reserved.

  • Explore new worlds with t3rn, there's a lot out there.

  • Explore new worlds with t3rn, there's a lot out there.

©2025 t3rn. All rights reserved.