Ava Protocol: Private, Autonomous Cross-Chain Transactions for Polkadot & EVM
Ava Protocol (formerly OAK Network) is an event-driven automation layer that lets builders ship private, autonomous “super-transactions” across chains. It combines an EigenLayer AVS security model with TEE-backed confidentiality and a no-code Studio for visual workflows—useful for DeFi, RWAs, DAOs, and AI agents with EVM endpoints and Polkadot ties.
Why this matters (problem → benefit)
Problem: Cross-chain ops are brittle. Teams stitch triggers, bots, relayers, and wallets; users leak alpha in the mempool; MEV risk grows with every hop. Benefit: Ava provides event-driven execution (time/price/state), verifiable security via an EigenLayer AVS, and confidential automation powered by TEEs—so complex, multi-step flows can run autonomously and privately across chains.
ELI5
Think of Ava as a smart robot assistant for your crypto. You tell it: “When price hits X or contract Y emits event Z, do these actions in order.” It watches, decides, and executes automatically—and it can do so privately (hiding sensitive parameters) and across multiple chains.
What is Ava Protocol?
Ava Protocol is an Actively Validated Service (AVS) built on EigenLayer that powers autonomous smart-contract execution—“super-transactions”—on EVM chains. The project rebranded from OAK Network to reflect a broader multi-chain vision. On top of the AVS, Ava Protocol Studio (a no-code builder) lets teams compose visual, event-driven workflows (triggers, branches, actions), deploy them to Ethereum/L2s, and monitor execution.
How Ava Protocol works
1) EigenLayer-secured AVS
- Restaked ETH and a decentralized operator set back the correctness of automations.
- This provides a credibly neutral security layer and scale to EVMs and rollups.
2) Event-driven execution (“super-transactions”)
- Workflows fire on time, price, or on-chain state (oracle conditions, contract events, block intervals).
- Actions can batch swaps, route liquidity, orchestrate treasury movements, or manage RWA lifecycles.
3) Privacy & MEV mitigation
- Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) protect sensitive logic and parameters (e.g., trigger thresholds, amounts) during automation.
- Private transaction routing mitigates mempool exposure to reduce frontrunning and sandwich risk.
4) Agent-ready design
- Ava targets AI-native agents: workflows can observe, decide, and act with verifiable execution guarantees, programmable smart wallets (ERC-4337/6900), and decentralized triggers.
Ava Protocol & the Polkadot ecosystem
- Origins as OAK Network (Polkadot/Kusama): OAK won a Polkadot parachain auction and operated Turing on Kusama to R&D cross-chain automation.
- Rebrand & expansion: In mid-2024, OAK → Ava Protocol, announcing an AVS on Ethereum while maintaining Polkadot roots and signaling future support paths (eventually JAM).
- 2025 transitions: Turing operations paused with a conversion path for legacy holders to AP (ERC-20) as Ava consolidated onto the AVS; statements in early 2025 indicated the Polkadot parachain had not yet launched.
- Builder implication: Ava brings automation know-how from Polkadot plus production security from EigenLayer—a pragmatic choice for Polkadot teams with EVM endpoints (e.g., Moonbeam) and multi-chain products spanning EVM + Substrate.
Key features
- Event-driven automation: time, oracle price, on-chain events, conditional branches.
- Privacy & MEV defense: TEE-backed confidentiality for logic/parameters + private submission to reduce leakage risks.
- EigenLayer AVS security: decentralized operators backed by restaked ETH.
- No-code Studio: visual canvas, templates, simulation, and dashboards.
- Agent-ready wallets: ERC-4337/6900 for delegated, granular permissions.
- Composability: EVM-first today; historical Substrate expertise; integrates with oracles, subgraphs, TEEs, and messaging layers.
Where it fits vs Gelato & Chainlink
| Tool | Security Model | Trigger Types | Privacy / MEV Mitigation | Cross-Chain Focus | No-Code Builder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ava Protocol | EigenLayer AVS (restaked ETH operators) | Time/price/state, branching | TEE-backed confidentiality + private routing | EVM mainnet & L2s; Polkadot lineage | Studio (visual workflows) |
| Gelato Automate / Web3 Functions | Decentralized executor network | Time/cron/state, off-chain compute | Private routes available; not TEE-native | Broad EVM coverage | Cloud & code-first (SDKs) |
| Chainlink Automation (Keepers) | Chainlink DON operators | Time/cron/state checks | Reliability-first; no native TEE privacy | Broad EVM coverage | Dev-centric registries & tooling |
Note: OpenZeppelin Defender automation is slated for sunset (no new sign-ups; deprecation timeline announced), nudging teams to alternatives like Ava, Gelato, and Chainlink.
Step-by-step: Build a private cross-chain stop-loss
Goal: If wETH drops below a threshold, swap to USDC on an L2 without leaking your trigger/size.
- Open Ava Protocol Studio and connect your wallet. Start from the Stop-Loss template or a blank canvas.
- Trigger: Add a block-interval or time trigger (e.g., every 3 minutes).
- Oracle read: Pull the ETH/USDC price feed; add a branch to continue when price ≤ target.
- Action: Call the DEX (e.g., Uniswap V3) with slippage guard; set max gas, deadline, and recipient.
- Privacy: Enable private routing to avoid mempool exposure; ensure TEE privacy is on for parameters (if your flow uses confidential branches).
- Simulation: Run a dry-run; check execution logs and alerts.
- Deploy & monitor: Use the dashboard to watch executions, task state, gas usage, and event history.
Common pitfalls & tips
- Privacy ≠ just private submission: Private routing hides TXs from the public mempool but not necessarily your logic/parameters. For full secrecy, combine private submission with TEE-based confidentiality.
- Oracle drift & slippage: Use conservative slippage + deadlines; branch on oracle and pool state where possible.
- Finality windows: For L2↔L1 flows, account for finality and retries.
- Operational visibility: Use simulation and alerts before going live; start with small sizes.
- Ecosystem status: Verify current Polkadot-side components (e.g., Turing status, parachain availability) before relying on Substrate automation.
FAQs
1) Is Ava Protocol live on Ethereum today? Yes—Ava operates as an EigenLayer AVS on Ethereum mainnet.
2) How does Ava keep my automation private? Ava integrates TEE-backed confidentiality for triggers/parameters and supports private routing to mitigate MEV.
3) What’s the current state of Ava on Polkadot? Ava’s lineage is OAK Network. Turing (Kusama) paused in 2025 with a legacy conversion path to AP; public notes in early 2025 indicated the Polkadot parachain had not yet launched.
4) Can I build without code? Yes—Ava Protocol Studio provides a visual, no-code builder with templates, simulation, and monitoring.
5) How is Ava different from Gelato or Chainlink Automation? Ava emphasizes TEE-backed confidentiality and an EigenLayer AVS security model; Gelato and Chainlink focus on robust automation via executor/keeper networks and private submission, but without a native TEE privacy layer.
6) Does Ava support AI agents? Yes—Ava targets AI-native, verifiable agent workflows and supports programmable smart wallets (ERC-4337/6900).
7) Is there a token? Ava referenced an AP token and conversion from OAK/TUR. Always confirm the latest status before interacting. Not financial advice.
Conclusion
Ava Protocol unifies automation, privacy, and verifiable security—ideal for Polkadot builders with EVM endpoints, DeFi teams, DAOs, and AI-agent experiments. If you’re orchestrating multi-step, cross-chain actions and need confidentiality, Ava offers a pragmatic path from prototype to production.