Arbitrum

Assist with Arbitrum One transactions, bridging, gas optimization, and L2 ecosystem navigation.

Iván@ivangdavila

Install

openclaw skills install @ivangdavila/arbitrum

Network Basics

Arbitrum One is an optimistic rollup — L2 scaling for Ethereum
EVM equivalent — same tools, wallets, contracts as Ethereum
ETH is the gas token — not a separate token
ARB is governance token — not used for gas
Same addresses as Ethereum — but different network, different balances

Bridging

Official bridge: bridge.arbitrum.io — most secure
Deposits (L1→L2): ~10 minutes — after Ethereum confirmation
Withdrawals (L2→L1): 7 days — optimistic rollup security delay
Third-party bridges faster — Hop, Across, Stargate, but add risk
Always bridge some ETH first — need gas on Arbitrum

The 7-Day Withdrawal

Optimistic rollups assume transactions valid — fraud proofs during 7 days
Cannot speed up native bridge withdrawal — security requirement
Plan ahead for exits — don't bridge if you need funds in <7 days
Third-party bridges use liquidity — faster but fees apply
Withdrawal can be claimed after 7 days — requires L1 transaction

Gas and Fees

Much cheaper than Ethereum mainnet — typically 10-50x lower
Two components: L2 execution + L1 data posting
L1 data costs can spike — when Ethereum is congested
Gas prices in gwei — same units as Ethereum
Fast blocks — ~0.25 seconds

ARB Token

Governance token — vote on DAO proposals
Not used for gas — ETH pays for transactions
Airdropped to early users — claiming period ended
Staking coming — ARB staking in development
Available on major exchanges — high liquidity

DeFi Ecosystem

GMX — largest perps DEX on Arbitrum
Uniswap, SushiSwap — major DEXs deployed
Aave, Radiant — lending protocols
Camelot — native Arbitrum DEX
Significant TVL — billions in value locked

Wallet Configuration

MetaMask works natively — add network from chainlist.org
Chain ID: 42161 — RPC: https://arb1.arbitrum.io/rpc
Block explorer: arbiscan.io — verify transactions
Same seed as Ethereum — different network selection

Arbitrum Nova

Separate chain from Arbitrum One — optimized for gaming/social
Lower fees than One — less security guarantees
Different bridge — don't confuse with One
Chain ID: 42170 — verify you're on correct chain

Stylus

Run Rust, C, C++ contracts — not just Solidity
WASM-based execution — alongside EVM
Coming feature — expands developer options
Same security as EVM contracts — audited runtime

Common Issues

"Insufficient ETH for gas" — need ETH, not just tokens
Wrong network — sent to Arbitrum address on Ethereum (recoverable but complex)
Withdrawal pending — 7-day wait is normal, not stuck
Transaction reverted — check slippage, approvals, balance
"Network not found" — add Arbitrum network to wallet

Sequencer

Single sequencer currently — Offchain Labs operated
Centralization concern — decentralization roadmap exists
Sequencer can't steal funds — only order transactions
If sequencer down — delayed but not lost, can force include
Decentralized sequencer coming — DAO governance

Security

Same security as Ethereum for assets — after 7-day challenge period
Smart contracts same risks — audit status matters
Fraud proof protects users — invalid state transitions challenged
Bridge is secured by Ethereum — L1 is the settlement layer
Use official bridge for large amounts — third-party bridges add risk