1
for Ethereum mainnet, is widely recognized, the CAIP-2 format offers a more comprehensive way to denote chain IDs across multiple curves. At Portal, we primarily use the CAIP-2 format for chain IDs for this reason. This document will clarify the differences and provide examples for Ethereum, Solana, and other EVM chains.
Traditional EVM Chain ID Format
The traditional EVM chain ID format is a straightforward numerical representation used by Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible chains. Here are some examples:- Monad:
143
- Ethereum:
1
- Optimism:
10
- Polygon:
137
- Arbitrum:
42161
CAIP-2 Chain ID Format
The CAIP-2 (Chain Agnostic Improvement Proposal 2) format provides a more structured way to represent chain IDs, including the namespace and reference, which helps in uniquely identifying different blockchain networks. The format isnamespace:reference
.
Examples:
- Monad:
eip155:143
- Solana:
solana:5eykt4UsFv8P8NJdTREpY1vzqKqZKvdp
- Ethereum:
eip155:1
- Optimism:
eip155:10
- Polygon:
eip155:137
- Arbitrum:
eip155:42161
- Tron:
tron:mainnet
- Stellar:
stellar:pubnet
- Bitcoin:
bip122:000000000019d6689c085ae165831e93-p2wpkh
The only exception to our chains adhering to the CAIP-2 standardized format is Bitcoin networks, which require special consideration due to the variety of address types they support.
Conversion Table
Chain | CAIP-2 Format |
---|---|
Monad Mainnet | eip155:143 |
Monad Testnet | eip155:10143 |
Solana Mainnet | solana:5eykt4UsFv8P8NJdTREpY1vzqKqZKvdp |
Solana Devnet | solana:EtWTRABZaYq6iMfeYKouRu166VU2xqa1 |
Ethereum Mainnet | eip155:1 |
Optimism | eip155:10 |
Polygon | eip155:137 |
Arbitrum | eip155:42161 |
Base | eip155:8453 |
Base Sepolia | eip155:84532 |
Celo | eip155:42220 |
Celo Alfajores Testnet | eip155:44787 |
Stellar | stellar:pubnet |
Stellar Testnet | stellar:testnet |
Tron | tron:mainnet |
Tron Nile Testnet | tron:nile |
Tron Shasta Testnet | tron:shasta |
Bitcoin (p2wpkh) | bip122:000000000019d6689c085ae165831e93-p2wpkh |
Bitcoin Testnet (p2wpkh) | bip122:000000000933ea01ad0ee984209779ba-p2wpkh |
Understanding the CAIP-2 Format
This includes the namespace (e.g.eip155
for Ethereum-based chains) followed by the chain-specific identifier. It is designed to be chain-agnostic and supports a wider variety of blockchain networks beyond just EVM-compatible ones.
Why CAIP-2?
The CAIP-2 format is essential for environments where multiple blockchain networks need to be identified and interacted with. It provides a standardized way to refer to chains, reducing ambiguity and enhancing interoperability across different platforms and applications.Understanding both the traditional EVM chain ID format and the CAIP-2 format is crucial for interacting with multi-curve environments. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please reach out to our support team!