ZetaChain is a proof-of-stake Layer 1 built for omnichain apps, letting a single smart contract read and move native assets across connected chains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Its native token is ZETA.
ZetaChain is a proof-of-stake Layer 1, live on mainnet since February 2024, that aims to let one app work across many chains without wrapping or bridging tokens. Here is how it works and what it is used for, not the price.
Total value locked (DeFi)
$369,171
Value locked in DeFi protocols on ZetaChain. Updated Jun 8, 2026. Source: DefiLlama.
ZetaChain is built with the Cosmos SDK and reaches agreement using CometBFT, a Byzantine-fault-tolerant proof-of-stake engine. Validators stake ZETA to produce blocks and confirm transactions, and a block is final once enough of them sign it. Alongside ordinary validation, ZetaChain validators also observe the connected external chains so the network can react to deposits and withdrawals on those chains.
Consensus: Proof of Stake on Cosmos SDK and CometBFT
ZetaChain is built with the Cosmos SDK and reaches agreement using CometBFT, a Byzantine-fault-tolerant proof-of-stake engine. Validators stake ZETA to produce blocks and confirm transactions, and a block is final once enough of them sign it. Alongside ordinary validation, ZetaChain validators also observe the connected external chains so the network can react to deposits and withdrawals on those chains.
Omnichain by design
ZetaChain runs an EVM that can read state and trigger actions on connected chains, so a single contract can coordinate assets that live on Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana and others.
ZRC-20 tokens
The ZRC-20 standard represents assets from connected chains as tokens on ZetaChain, so a contract can handle native BTC or an ERC-20 the same way it handles a local token, without manual wrapping.
Gateway and observers
Users interact with a gateway contract on a connected chain; ZetaChain validators observe those chains and relay the calls, then settle the result back out to the origin or another chain.
ZETA utility and supply
ZETA pays fees, is staked by validators to secure the network, and is used in governance. Supply is capped at 2.1 billion tokens, with allocations released over time.
Ecosystem & usage
What ZetaChain is used for.
ZetaChain is used to build apps that span several chains at once, from cross-chain swaps to bringing programmable logic to assets that normally sit on chains without smart contracts.
Developers build apps where a deposit on one chain can drive an action on another, coordinated by one contract on ZetaChain rather than several separate bridges.
Programmable Bitcoin
Because ZetaChain can handle native BTC through ZRC-20, contracts can add programmable logic around Bitcoin without the holder leaving the asset on its own chain.
Unified liquidity
Assets from many chains can be brought together in one place, so swaps and DeFi flows can route across networks from a single app.
A typical bridge locks a token on one chain and mints a wrapped copy on another. ZetaChain instead lets a contract read and act on connected chains directly, representing outside assets as ZRC-20 tokens so apps can work across chains from one place.
Which chains does ZetaChain connect to?
ZetaChain connects to EVM chains such as Ethereum, BNB Chain and Polygon, plus Bitcoin and Solana, with further networks added over time. Check the official docs for the current connected-chain list.
How does ZetaChain reach consensus?
It uses proof of stake built on the Cosmos SDK and CometBFT. Validators stake ZETA to produce and finalize blocks, and they also observe connected chains so the network can respond to activity on them.
What is ZETA used for?
ZETA pays network fees, is staked by validators to secure the chain, and is used in governance. The total supply is capped at 2.1 billion tokens.
Can I hold ZETA in Zypto App?
Not yet. ZETA isn't in Zypto App at the moment. You can hold it in any self-custodial wallet, and you can ask us to add ZetaChain using the "Request ZetaChain" button above.
