Wormhole is the cross-chain messaging protocol with the widest non-EVM coverage — Solana, Sui, Aptos, Cosmos, EVM chains, and more. Native Token Transfer (NTT) enables non-wrapped cross-chain transfers. Recovered from a $325M exploit in 2022 (fully repaid by Jump Crypto).
Cross-ecosystem coverage
Wormhole's standout advantage is coverage of non-EVM chains. If you need to bridge between EVM ↔ Solana ↔ Sui ↔ Aptos or any combination, Wormhole is usually the reference option.
Guardian security model — 19 institutional entities validate cross-chain messages. Not perfectly decentralized but genuinely institutional-grade.
The 2022 exploit
Wormhole was drained of $325M in a signature verification bug on Solana in February 2022. Jump Crypto immediately backstopped the loss, replenishing user funds. Post-incident architecture improvements have kept the protocol clean since.
Native Token Transfer
NTT lets tokens issue as truly-native cross-chain assets (not wrapped). Growing adoption by projects that want first-class multi-chain presence without bridge counterparty risk.
Verdict
Wormhole is essential infrastructure for cross-ecosystem bridging (EVM ↔ non-EVM). Recovery from the 2022 exploit + Jump backstop + NTT expansion keep it a top-tier choice for wide-coverage cross-chain needs.