ZetaChain token holders have voted overwhelmingly to retire the project’s Layer 1 blockchain and migrate ZETA to Solana, approving proposal 68 with 99.4% support. The vote drew 58% participation, comfortably above the 40% quorum requirement, with opposition and abstentions each accounting for 0.3%.
The result gives ZetaChain’s contributors a governance mandate to wind down the Cosmos SDK-based network that launched in early 2024 and turn ZETA into a native Solana token. A second vote will be needed before the migration can be completed, and the existing chain will remain online while the team develops the operational details.
Under the approved proposal, ZETA would convert one-for-one into a Solana SPL token, preserving its ticker and total supply. Existing vesting schedules are also expected to remain unchanged. The proposal’s scope does not include ZETA issued on Ethereum and BNB Chain, leaving the treatment of those versions outside the immediate migration plan.
Second vote will determine the shutdown process
The next governance proposal is expected to establish the practical sequence for ending ZetaChain’s independent network operations. It will set the blockchain height used for the token-balance snapshot, identify the block at which the chain would stop, and publish instructions for claims and withdrawals involving assets connected to other networks.
Until that process is approved, ZETA staking will continue on the existing chain. ZetaChain said in its Sept. 17 announcement that it was still assessing how staking and rewards would operate after the token moves to Solana.
The timing carries consequences for holders and applications using ZetaChain. A snapshot block height would determine which balances qualify for the Solana-based ZETA conversion, while a shutdown block would create a firm deadline for users to withdraw or otherwise manage assets tied to the old network.
The migration plan also calls for the Solana token to use nine decimal places, compared with 18 decimals on the existing ZETA token. That change could affect extremely small balances, depending on the final conversion and rounding rules published in the follow-up proposal.
Maintenance and security concerns shaped the proposal
Proposal 68 framed the move as a response to the operational cost and risk of maintaining an independent Cosmos SDK blockchain. Running such a network requires contributors and validators to monitor upstream software advisories, coordinate patches and upgrades, and respond to vulnerabilities that can affect connected components.
The proposal referenced an Aug. 25 patch in its discussion of software-maintenance risks. Those concerns received added attention after Cosmos Labs disclosed last month that attackers had targeted six Cosmos EVM chains and sold stolen funds for roughly $5.7 million. Cosmos Labs said ZetaChain was not among the affected networks.
According to Cosmos Labs, the vulnerability involved in those incidents had been reported months before the attacks. Testers had initially concluded that it could not be exploited on live chains, only for attackers to demonstrate otherwise.
That episode does not establish that ZetaChain itself faced the same exploit path. It does show the difficulty smaller Layer 1 teams face when their security depends partly on rapid detection, patching and coordination across a changing software stack. Moving ZETA and the project’s primary application work to Solana would place those activities on a larger shared network rather than requiring ZetaChain to keep operating its own validator infrastructure.
Anuma becomes the project’s main product focus
The restructuring comes as ZetaChain contributors concentrate on Anuma, a private artificial-intelligence application launched in February. The team plans to run Anuma on Solana alongside the migrated ZETA token.
ZetaChain reported that Anuma had reached more than 300,000 users and processed more than 1 million requests across 35 AI models. Those figures describe activity reported by the project and do not yet show how many users will transition into Solana-based ZETA activity once the migration begins.
The original ZetaChain network was designed to connect competing blockchains, a goal reflected in its earlier positioning as a cross-chain Layer 1. The project raised $27 million in an August 2023 funding round that included Blockchain.com and Jane Street Capital, then announced its mainnet launch the following January.
Retiring the Layer 1 shifts the project away from operating blockchain infrastructure as its central product. Its future model would instead pair an application-focused strategy around Anuma with a token issued on Solana, where transaction execution, network security and validator operations are handled by the underlying chain.
Holders now await the conversion rules
Proposal 68 approved the direction of travel rather than a completed migration package. The follow-up vote will carry much of the operational weight, particularly for the conversion snapshot, claim process, connected-chain withdrawals and the design of any staking program on Solana.
Until then, ZetaChain’s Layer 1 remains active and its existing staking system continues to operate. The absence of a published shutdown date means holders have time to assess the eventual conversion instructions, though users with assets or applications tied to the chain will need to follow the snapshot and withdrawal deadlines once they are proposed.
The vote leaves ZetaChain with a clear governance decision: its token and application strategy are moving to Solana, while the independent network built to support its original cross-chain ambitions moves toward retirement.
Curious why projects migrate to Solana? Deepen your understanding with this Solana guide before ZETA’s shift — learn more.
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