LayerZero Labs has announced the launch of its own Layer 1 blockchain, called "Zero," backed by strategic investments from Citadel Securities and ARK Invest. The new blockchain is designed to address the scalability challenges of decentralized networks and target institutional financial markets.
Key Partnerships and Investments
Citadel Securities and ARK Invest have made strategic investments by acquiring the protocol's native ZRO token. Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, will also join Zero's advisory board. Citadel Securities is collaborating with LayerZero to provide market structure expertise and evaluate how its technology could apply to trading, clearing, and settlement workflows requiring high performance and reliability. The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), plans to examine how Zero might support 24/7 trading. Google Cloud is partnering with LayerZero to explore blockchain-based micropayments and resource exchanges for AI agents. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is evaluating the blockchain for tokenization and collateral applications. Tether has also made a strategic investment in LayerZero Labs to support interoperability infrastructure.
Zero's Architecture and Capabilities
Zero introduces a heterogeneous blockchain architecture that can scale to 2 million transactions per second (TPS) across unlimited zones. LayerZero claims that Zero achieves approximately 100,000 times faster performance and greater throughput than Ethereum and approximately 500 times more than Solana. The architecture leverages zero-knowledge proofs and a zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) called Jolt to bypass the replication requirement that constrains other blockchains. Zero is built on breakthroughs in compute, storage, networking, and zero-knowledge technology. The new blockchain will launch with three permissionless environments or "zones" governed by the underlying network. These zones will include a general-purpose Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) environment, privacy-focused payments infrastructure, and a canonical environment for trading across markets and asset classes. ZRO, the network's native token and governance asset, will provide interoperability between zones and across more than 165 blockchains.
Vision and Impact
LayerZero Labs CEO Bryan Pellegrino believes that Zero can bring the entire global economy on-chain. The company's mission is to build permissionless infrastructure for a better world. Cathie Wood described the development as a historic opportunity at the intersection of finance and the internet. LayerZero aims to eliminate the scalability challenges of decentralized networks and create a more interconnected and functional blockchain ecosystem. The launch of Zero could significantly enhance LayerZero's position in decentralized technology.
Zero is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2026.
About LayerZero
LayerZero is an omnichain interoperability protocol designed for lightweight message passing across chains. It allows smart contracts to read from and write to other chains as though every network lived inside a single execution environment. LayerZero uses Ultra Light Nodes (ULNs) to ensure secure and efficient message transfer between blockchains. The protocol supports native transactions between chains, fostering greater interoperability and collaboration within the blockchain ecosystem.