Arbitrum is one of the largest layer 2 networks on Ethereum, built by Offchain Labs. Its main chain, Arbitrum One, is an optimistic rollup with a deep DeFi ecosystem and low fees. We build, port and maintain applications on Arbitrum, usually alongside other EVM chains.
The Arbitrum Family
- Arbitrum One: the general-purpose rollup, where most DeFi liquidity and users are.
- Arbitrum Nova: uses a data availability committee instead of posting all data to Ethereum, which makes it cheaper for high-volume uses such as games and social apps, with a different trust model.
- Orbit: a framework to launch your own chain, settling to Arbitrum or Ethereum, for applications that need their own throughput, gas token or rules.
- Stylus: lets you write contracts in Rust and other languages that compile to WebAssembly, running next to Solidity contracts. Useful for compute-heavy logic where EVM gas would be high.
What We Build on Arbitrum
- DeFi and trading: integrations with Arbitrum's DEXs and lending markets, on-chain bots and position management.
- Porting dApps from Ethereum or other chains, with the chain-specific details handled.
- Smart contracts in Solidity, or in Rust with Stylus where it pays off.
- Gasless flows with paymasters and account abstraction.
Arbitrum-Specific Details
block.numberreturns an approximate Ethereum block number, not the Arbitrum block; contracts that rely on block numbers for timing need care.- Fees combine Arbitrum execution costs with the cost of posting data to Ethereum, so gas estimates must come from the chain itself.
- Withdrawals to Ethereum through the native bridge take about a week because of the challenge period; fast bridges shorten that for users. See cross-chain bridges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Ethereum contracts work on Arbitrum unchanged?
Almost always. Arbitrum is EVM-compatible; we test for the few differences, such as block numbers and timing.
Should we write contracts with Stylus?
Only where it adds value, such as heavy computation or reusing existing Rust code. For most contracts, Solidity remains the simplest and best-audited choice.
Arbitrum One or Nova?
One for DeFi and anything holding significant value; Nova for very high-volume, low-value actions where lower cost matters more than full rollup security.
Who owns the code?
Ownership of the source code is set out in the contract, and the code can be fully yours, including documentation and tests.
Part of our layer 2 development. Compare Optimism, Base and zkSync.
Build on Arbitrum
Tell us what you are building and where your users are. We will build it for Arbitrum and the other chains that matter to you.