ZetaChain Proposes Layer 1 Shutdown to Migrate ZETA to Solana on Dec. 9

ZetaChain submitted Governance Proposal 2 on Nov. 4, outlining technical mechanisms and timelines to permanently halt its Layer 1 blockchain and reissue its native token on the Solana network ¹. If approved by community vote, the ZetaChain Layer 1 will halt around Dec. 9, 2026, alongside the migration of $ZETA to an SPL token standard on Solana at a 1:1 ratio ¹.

The measure executes a strategic pivot approved in September by Proposal 68, which passed with 99.4% support to reposition the project around artificial intelligence applications ¹. Under the pending plan, a balance snapshot covering liquid, staked, unbonding, and unclaimed reward balances will occur at an identified block height on Dec. 9 ¹. The snapshot total will be minted on Solana, after which the mint authority will be permanently revoked to prevent future inflation ¹. Staked and centralized exchange balances will convert automatically, while self-custody holders will claim tokens via the ZetaHub migration portal without paying network fees ¹. Holders must possess at least 10 ZETA at the snapshot to qualify for manual claims ¹.

Shifting Network Architecture to AI Applications

Retiring the Layer 1 ends ZetaChain validator staking rewards at the snapshot block ¹. Consequently, the project plans to burn roughly 55 million ZETA across twelve monthly tranches of about 4.6 million tokens throughout 2027—funds originally earmarked for validator emissions ¹. Tokens held in smart contracts or liquidity pools will not be claimable directly; holders must unwrap and withdraw assets before the snapshot occurs ¹. Bridged ZRC-20 assets can be reclaimed on their original origin chains starting Dec. 9, provided they meet a $5 minimum threshold per token ¹. The project stated that Hacken is conducting an independent security review of the migration program and portal ¹.

The migration coincides with the Dec. 9 rollout of ZetaLabs, an encrypted AI market research application deployed on Solana ¹. Project documentation states Solana was selected due to existing onchain payment rails and agent infrastructure, pointing to x402 processing over 35 million transactions ¹. The broader Solana ecosystem continues to expand its transaction tooling, including institutional moves like Securitize's launch of tokenized equities on Solana ¹.

Voting on Governance Proposal 2 closes on Nov. 7 ¹. If approved, vesting schedules for core contributors and early purchasers will conclude as scheduled on Jan. 1, 2027, with commitments barring sales of newly unlocked tokens during 2027 ¹.