Zilliqa 2.0 Launches: A New Era for Scalable, Institution-Ready, and EVM-Compatible Blockchain Infrastructure

Singapore, 30th June 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, Zilliqa, the pioneering high performance Layer 1 blockchain platform known for bringing sharding into production, today announced the official transition from Zilliqa 1.0 to Zilliqa 2.0 — a major protocol upgrade that redefines the platform’s capabilities for developers, enterprises, and institutions alike.

As the industry matures, so do its requirements. With Zilliqa 1.0, the world witnessed that high-throughput, sharded blockchains could operate at scale. But in today’s rapidly evolving web3 world, the need for regulatory alignment, composability, and developer-first tooling is greater than ever. Zilliqa 2.0 addresses this with a re-architected, modular platform designed to support verifiable smart contracts, tokenized assets, and next-generation dApps. It represents a complete architectural overhaul, built to meet the demands of today’s blockchain landscape — from EVM compatibility and modular design to regulatory-ready infrastructure that enables  tokenized real-world assets and compliance-driven DeFi.

“Zilliqa 2.0 is more than an upgrade — it’s a transformation. We’re building the blockchain institutions can trust without compromising on the speed, flexibility, or openness that brought us here in the first place. The next era of blockchain won’t be built on hype. It’ll be built on trust, transparency, and technical excellence. That’s what Zilliqa 2.0 stands for”, said Alexander Zahnd, interim CEO of Zilliqa.

Key Upgrades in Zilliqa 2.0

Zilliqa 2.0 launches with full EVM  support, enabling seamless deployment of Ethereum-native applications and tooling. The platform’s modular design future proofs the chain for upgrades, scale, and protocol evolution.At its core are six foundational pillars: a modern Proof-of-Stake consensus, customizable x-shards, seamless cross-chain communication, light client support, and sustainable tokenomics. Looking ahead, Zilliqa’s roadmap includes smart accounts that will bring enhanced on-chain programmability, as well as zero-knowledge (ZK) features to enable privacy-preserving compliance tools like selective disclosure and verifiable credentials. Together, these upgrades deliver a blockchain that’s faster, greener, easier to build on, and ready for real-world adoption at scale. 

This upgrade transforms Zilliqa into a blockchain that’s as attractive to institutions as it is to developers. Whether it’s fintechs launching programmable assets or compliance-driven DAOs building advanced tooling, Zilliqa 2.0 offers a production-ready base layer that bridges real-world needs with decentralized innovation.

“Zilliqa is now institution-ready and developer-friendly,” Zahnd added. “We’ve rebuilt the core to make sure we’re not just fast — we’re also open, composable and built for real-world impact.”

Continuous Commitment to Performance

With over 50 million transactions processed and one of the most proven sharding implementations in production, Zilliqa’s core performance is only accelerating. Validators remain integral to the protocol, and staking continues to offer attractive rewards as the network enters its next chapter.

With Zilliqa 2.0’s debut, staking receives a performance boost:, streamlined validator onboarding, and potential early high APR for users who migrate staking early from Zilliqa 1.0 to Zilliqa 2.0. This dynamic staking model is designed to incentivize early adopters while scaling sustainably as liquidity gradually transitions from the old to the new system.

Over a six-month Aventurine phase, 21 external validators tested the proto-mainnet, generating over 7.5 million blocks and completing 15 successful client upgrades. Now live on mainnet, Zilliqa 2.0 is powering projects building across tokenized assets, (regulated) DeFi, digital identity, fintech infrastructure, and more. Strategic integrations – such as partnerships with LTIN and deBridge (introducing native USDC) –  are already expanding the ecosystem’s capabilities. With this momentum, Zilliqa is emerging as the high-performance Layer 1 where institutions, innovators, and real-world value collide.

If you’re a developer and want to build dApps on Zilliqa 2.0, please refer to the technical documentation.

About Zilliqa:

Zilliqa is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain platform built to power scalable, secure, and interoperable decentralized applications. As the first public blockchain to implement sharding, Zilliqa has consistently pushed the boundaries of blockchain infrastructure. With the launch of Zilliqa 2.0, the platform is evolving to meet the needs of institutions, enterprises, and developers seeking high-throughput infrastructure with the trust, transparency, and flexibility required for real-world adoption.

To learn more, visit www.zilliqa.com or follow @zilliqa for regular updates.

Press Contact

Shilika Jain

PR Lead (On behalf of Zilliqa)