ZetaChain token holders have approved the plan to retire the project’s Layer 1 blockchain and migrate native ZETA to Solana.
Proposal 68 passed on September 20 with overwhelming support:
- 99.4% in favor;
- 0.3% against;
- 0.3% abstain;
- 58% participation;
- 40% quorum requirement.
The result is binding as a governance direction, but it is not the final shutdown transaction.
What Proposal 68 authorizes
The proposal authorizes native ZETA to become a Solana SPL token through a one-for-one conversion.
Core migration principles include:
- 1 ZETA → 1 ZETA on Solana;
- total supply remains unchanged;
- existing vesting schedules continue;
- the ZETA ticker remains;
- no new token supply is intended to be created by the migration itself.
What is not happening yet
ZetaChain has not announced a final shutdown block.
The chain continues operating while contributors prepare a second governance proposal.
That second proposal is expected to define:
- snapshot block height;
- L1 shutdown block;
- token claim mechanics;
- exchange-coordinated swaps;
- connected-chain asset withdrawals;
- implementation timeline.
Until that second proposal passes, users should not assume a snapshot has already occurred.
Ethereum and BNB Chain ZETA are outside Proposal 68
Proposal 68 explicitly excludes ZETA balances represented on Ethereum and BNB Chain from the native conversion scope.
That creates a migration-boundary issue.
Users and exchanges need to distinguish:
- native ZetaChain ZETA;
- ZETA representations on Ethereum;
- ZETA representations on BNB Chain;
- future native Solana SPL ZETA.
The second proposal will need to make the practical bridge/withdrawal treatment clear.
Why ZetaChain is retiring its L1
The project says its strategic focus has shifted toward Anuma, a private AI application launched in 2026.
Contributors argue that maintaining an independent Cosmos SDK chain creates ongoing operational overhead, especially around upstream security advisories and validator-coordinated patches.
The team says Solana provides infrastructure better aligned with Anuma’s future roadmap and removes the need to operate a separate base layer.
Security-maintenance context
ZetaChain’s proposal cited the burden of managing upstream Cosmos SDK/EVM security patches across validators.
This does not mean ZetaChain itself was exploited in the recent multi-chain Cosmos incident.
The project’s argument is structural: running a standalone L1 creates continuing security-maintenance cost even when a specific vulnerability has not affected the chain.
User and validator impact
Token holders
Holders face migration-process risk around:
- snapshots;
- exchange support;
- claim deadlines;
- unsupported representations;
- rounding/precision differences;
- phishing around fake migration sites.
Validators and stakers
Native ZETA staking continues for now.
The project has not yet finalized the post-migration staking and reward structure on Solana.
Validators therefore face an eventual loss of the current L1 validation role as the chain winds down.
Connected-chain assets
Because ZetaChain was designed as an omnichain network, users may also hold assets tied to cross-chain applications or connected-chain state.
The second proposal is expected to define withdrawal procedures before the L1 shutdown.
Precision change
Current reporting on Proposal 68 says native ZETA uses 18 decimals while the planned Solana SPL token uses 9.
Very small balances below the representable precision may therefore be rounded down in conversion.
This is not a supply haircut for normal balances, but it is an implementation detail users and exchanges should understand.
Why this is a High risk event
A governed chain shutdown is not a hack, but it creates material operational risks:
- liquidity fragmentation;
- exchange-swap dependency;
- claim fraud/phishing;
- stranded connected-chain assets;
- validator exit;
- bridge decommissioning;
- token-representation confusion.
Evidence Status
Confirmed / Governance
- Proposal 68 passed with 99.4% support and 58% participation.
- 1:1 native ZETA migration to Solana authorised.
- Total supply and vesting schedules remain unchanged under the proposal.
- Ethereum/BNB Chain ZETA is outside Proposal 68’s conversion scope.
- A second proposal is required before shutdown/migration execution.
Developing
- Snapshot block.
- Shutdown block.
- Claim interface.
- Exchange support.
- Connected-asset withdrawal procedure.
- Solana staking/reward model.
- Exact migration date.
Risk Assessment
High protocol-exit / migration risk.
The direction is approved, but users remain exposed to implementation uncertainty until the second proposal is final.
What to Watch Next
Proposal 69/second migration vote, exchange announcements, snapshot date, validator wind-down, connected-chain withdrawals, official claim interface and phishing campaigns.
FAQ
Is ZetaChain already shut down?
No.
Did Proposal 68 pass?
Yes, with 99.4% support and 58% participation.
What is the ZETA conversion ratio?
1:1 for native ZETA within the approved migration scope.
Are Ethereum and BNB Chain ZETA included?
Proposal 68 excludes those representations from the native conversion scope.
When is the snapshot?
Not yet defined; a second proposal must set it.
Will validators keep operating forever?
No. The L1 is intended to wind down, but the exact validator shutdown timeline remains pending.