apex-sdk

Parachain Asset Hub Integration Example

This example demonstrates how Apex SDK enables seamless interaction with Polkadot’s Asset Hub parachain alongside Ethereum, showcasing true cross-ecosystem asset management from a single Rust application.

What is Asset Hub?

Asset Hub (formerly Statemint) is Polkadot’s system parachain for creating and managing:

Fungible assets (like ERC-20 tokens)
Non-fungible assets (NFTs)
Multi-assets with complex logic

It provides:

Low fees (system parachain privilege)
Polkadot’s security (no separate validator set needed)
Interoperability with other parachains via XCM

Why This Example is Unique

Traditional Approach

// Need polkadot.js for Asset Hub
import { ApiPromise, WsProvider } from '@polkadot/api';
const assetHubApi = await ApiPromise.create({
  provider: new WsProvider('wss://asset-hub...')
});

// Separate ethers.js for Ethereum
import { ethers } from 'ethers';
const ethProvider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider('https://eth...');

// Two completely different APIs, runtime errors, complex integration

Apex SDK Approach

// Single SDK for everything
let sdk = ApexSDK::builder()
    .with_substrate_endpoint("wss://asset-hub...")
    .with_evm_endpoint("https://eth...")
    .build()
    .await?;

// Same API for both chains, compile-time safety

Use Case: Multi-Chain Asset Platform

This example implements a complete asset lifecycle:

Create asset on Polkadot Asset Hub
Set metadata (name, symbol, decimals)
Mint supply to asset creator
Distribute to multiple users via batch transfers
Bridge assets to Ethereum as wrapped ERC-20
Track ownership across both ecosystems

Running the Example

cd examples/parachain-assets
cargo run

Key Features Demonstrated

1. Asset Hub Operations

// Create new asset on Asset Hub
let create_asset_tx = sdk.transaction()
    .from_substrate_account(creator)
    .to_substrate_account(asset_pallet)
    .with_data(encode_create_asset(asset_id, creator, min_balance))
    .build()?;

2. Cross-Chain Bridging

// Bridge from Asset Hub to Ethereum
let bridge_tx = sdk.transaction()
    .from_substrate_account(creator)
    .to_evm_address(eth_address)  // Different ecosystem!
    .amount(bridge_amount)
    .build()?;

// SDK handles the complexity
assert!(bridge_tx.is_cross_chain());

3. Unified Asset Tracking

Track the same asset across multiple chains:

Asset Hub (native)
Ethereum (wrapped ERC-20)
Other parachains (via XCM)

All from a single application!

Real-World Applications

This pattern enables:

Multi-chain token launchpads that deploy to Substrate and EVM simultaneously
Cross-ecosystem DeFi protocols using Asset Hub for governance, Ethereum for liquidity
NFT marketplaces supporting both Polkadot (Asset Hub) and Ethereum NFTs
Asset management platforms with unified portfolio tracking
Cross-chain payment systems leveraging Asset Hub’s low fees

Asset Hub Advantages

Feature	Asset Hub	Ethereum ERC-20
Creation Cost	~$0.10	$50-$500+
Transfer Fee	~$0.01	$1-$50+
Security	Polkadot validators	Contract security
Interoperability	Native XCM	Bridges required
Type Safety	Pallet-level	Contract-level

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