What is the characteristic of the ionic bond in regards to electrons?

In the context of ionic bonds, the characteristic feature is that electrons are completely lost or gained between atoms. This type of bond occurs between elements that have significantly different electronegativities, typically a metal and a non-metal. The metal tends to lose one or more electrons, becoming a positively charged ion (cation), while the non-metal gains those electrons, becoming a negatively charged ion (anion).

This transfer of electrons leads to the formation of oppositely charged ions that attract each other, resulting in the ionic bond. The fundamental nature of ionic bonding revolves around this complete transfer rather than sharing, which is a characteristic of covalent bonding. The other options do not pertain accurately to the nature of ionic bonds; for instance, sharing of electrons and stationary electrons are more descriptive of covalent interactions.