LayerZero Labs has unveiled Zero, a new Layer 1 blockchain built to bring trading, clearing, settlement and tokenization for global financial markets on-chain. The network was announced on February 10, 2026, and LayerZero is presenting it as institutional-grade infrastructure with backing from Citadel Securities, DTCC, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Google Cloud, ARK Invest and Tether.
According to LayerZero, Zero is designed to operate as permissionless financial market infrastructure, with the goal of allowing traditional capital markets to run directly on blockchain rails. Its native token will be ZRO. The launch is expected in fall 2026, while governance and access will depend on regulatory frameworks.
Strategic support from Wall Street and major tech names
Citadel Securities and ARK Invest have already made strategic investments through purchases of ZRO, and ARK also took an equity stake in LayerZero Labs. Cathie Wood said on X that after speaking with the team, she sees finance moving on-chain and views LayerZero as a core innovation platform for that long-term transition. She has also joined LayerZero’s advisory board, her first such position in years.
LayerZero said Citadel Securities will contribute expertise in market structure and examine how Zero could be used in high-performance trading, clearing and settlement workflows. DTCC is set to explore tokenization and collateral management use cases. ICE plans to assess support for 24/7 trading infrastructure, while Google Cloud will work on blockchain infrastructure reliability and AI-driven payment systems.
Zero-knowledge design and a 2 million TPS claim
On the technical side, LayerZero describes Zero as a “heterogeneous” blockchain that separates execution from verification. The system uses zero-knowledge proofs and a proprietary technology called Jolt, which the company says is intended to address replication bottlenecks found in conventional blockchain architectures.
LayerZero claims the network can handle up to 2 million transactions per second. It also says throughput could be as much as 100,000 times faster than Ethereum and higher than Solana. Interoperability is another major pitch: Zero is planned to connect with more than 165 blockchains. Initial deployment is expected to include an EVM-compatible zone, privacy payment rails and a market-grade trading zone.
Launch set for fall 2026, with regulation shaping access
Zero has not gone live yet, and the current target is fall 2026. LayerZero stated that governance and availability will be determined by regulatory frameworks. That leaves the project with notable institutional backing and an ambitious technical roadmap, but its practical rollout into global financial market workflows will still depend on product delivery and compliance conditions.