LayerZero Labs rolled out Zero, a new Layer 1 blockchain designed to handle up to 2 million transactions per second per zone, with a fall 2026 mainnet target and initial zones including a general-purpose EVM environment, a privacy-focused payment system, and a specialized trading platform.

A strong lineup of Wall Street backers is aboard as investors, partners, or advisors, including Citadel, Cathie Wood’s ARK, ICE (NYSE’s parent), and Tether, signaling notable institutional interest.

Zero is being developed with major collaboration from Citadel Securities, DTCC, Google Cloud, and Intercontinental Exchange.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the author’s opinion and should not be construed as investment advice.

Key technical questions remain about sustaining performance under stress, potential centralization risks from optional producers, and whether governance and delegated staking can stay truly decentralized.

While no detailed specs or rollout timeline are provided in the excerpt, the partnership slate suggests an emphasis on enterprise-grade infrastructure and custody.

Market sentiment is divided, weighing architectural novelty and potential performance gains against launch risks, tokenomics concerns, and uncertain real-world adoption.

Announced partnerships include Citadel, DTCC, ICE, Google Cloud, and Tether, but many statements describe exploration rather than confirmed implementations, fueling cautious optimism.

Ongoing concerns about decentralization and data privacy in public ledgers persist, with unclear paths for traditional exchanges like NYSE to integrate the technology.

Independent verification of performance claims is lacking; LayerZero declined written responses, opting for video content instead.

The market reaction included a rally in ZRO prices, rising more than 20% on the news, signaling optimism about Wall Street involvement.

Community reaction is mixed: skeptics question whether 2 million TPS is achievable without centralizing GPU-based proof generation, while supporters cite lightweight ZK features and congestion isolation through FAFO.