Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about VIA Network.

What is VIA Network?

VIA Network is a sovereign, Bitcoin-secured zkEVM chain that brings native yield to bridged assets. Read more about VIA Network here.

What is vToken?

vToken is an ERC-4626 yield-bearing token native to VIA L2. It represents a user's share of the underlying lending pools on Ethereum, where their bridged assets are deposited. vTokens continuously accrue value as interest is earned on Ethereum, and at any time they can be redeemed for the underlying assets plus yield. On VIA, vTokens are the default currency. They can be used to pay transaction fees, provide liquidity, swap, or serve as collateral in other DeFi applications.

What is the VIA Bridge?

VIA Bridge is VIA Network’s native cross-chain bridge between Bitcoin, Ethereum and the VIA L2. It converts deposited assets into yield-bearing vTokens on VIA, while the underlying assets remain in an ERC-4626 vault and DeFi strategies on Ethereum. User can deposit to VIA from Ethereum and Bitcoin (BTC yield coming soon). Learn more about the VIA Bridge here.

Which assets does the VIA Bridge support?

VIA<>ETH Bridge focuses on stablecoins such as USDC (with others to follow). VIA<>BTC bridge is for BTC users.

How does a user harvest their yield on VIA and Ethereum?

This yield can be used directly on VIA, as this token is an ERC-Yield that accrues automatically within the redemption value of vTokens. Users do not need to manually "claim" rewards. On VIA, the vToken balance in a wallet remains the same, but its redemption rate into the underlying asset increases over time. When a user redeems vTokens (either on VIA or back on Ethereum), they receive the underlying principal plus accrued yield. And this yield can be used directly on VIA, as this token is an ERC4626.

Can I withdraw/redeem at any time?

Yes. vTokens are fully redeemable at any time. A user who holds vTokens on VIA can exit the system by bridging back to Ethereum, where their share of the underlying lending pool is unlocked. Redemption always reflects both the principal and the accumulated yield up to that moment. If a user tries to redeem assets and there's no liquidity, the transaction will revert and fail because the smart contract cannot fulfill the request. To enable redemption, the user must wait for more liquidity to be supplied to the pool or for existing borrowers to repay their loans. They might also need to monitor the pool's utilization rate to see when liquidity becomes available.

How often is the vToken exchange rate updated?

The redemption rate of vTokens is updated on a regular schedule to reflect interest accrued in Ethereum lending pools. By default, this happens hourly, but the update frequency can be reduced to every five minutes or less, depending on network activity and liquidity conditions. This ensures that yield accrual remains responsive and accurate without sacrificing efficiency.

Is VIA Bridge live on mainnet?

VIA Bridge is currently available on testnet https://testnet.bridge.onvia.org/ Mainnet launch is coming soon, you can subscribe here to get the news first.