Conversation with ZetaChain: Where is the omnichain future of Universal EVM headed?
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Conversation with ZetaChain: Where is the omnichain future of Universal EVM headed?
ZetaChain is the first universal EVM blockchain based on chain abstraction, and will gradually achieve compatibility with heterogeneous chains such as Bitcoin and Solana.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsHost: Joe, Deputy Chief Editor at Foresight News
Guests: Luke, Tech Ambassador at ZetaChain; Jessie Zhang, Growth Lead / APAC Head at ZetaChain; Mr Block, Angel Investor; Rocky, Co-Founder of Blue Ocean Capital; Ningning, Independent Researcher
Compiled by: aididiaojp.eth, Foresight News
ZetaChain has been highly active recently, having just completed the first round of its XP airdrop and distributed 10 million ZETA in rewards. Additionally, ZetaChain plans to allocate 5% of the total ZETA supply to support developer and DApp ecosystem growth, with a dedicated 1% (21 million ZETA) reserved for Bitcoin-related projects. Foresight News invited industry builders including Mr Block, Rocky, and Ningning to connect with core members of the ZetaChain team and explore together the question: "Where is the full-chain future of Universal EVM headed?"
Host: Please give us a brief self-introduction.
Luke: Hi everyone, I'm the tech ambassador at ZetaChain, mainly supporting developer documentation and tools.
Jessie: Hello, I lead market development and ecosystem fund investments at ZetaChain. Before joining, I worked in VC at Lenovo Group’s parent company, followed by a PE firm.
Ningning: Hi, I'm an independent researcher deeply interested in chain abstraction.
Host: Could each of you describe ZetaChain in one sentence?
Luke: ZetaChain is a full-chain interoperability protocol that supports cross-chain transfers of assets and messages across EVM, BTC, and Cosmos ecosystems.
Jessie: ZetaChain is the first universal EVM blockchain built on chain abstraction.
Host: ZetaChain holds multiple identities — such as “Layer 1,” “Bitcoin Layer 2,” and “cross-chain bridge.” Can you explain each of these roles and the problems they aim to solve?
Luke: From a technical standpoint, ZetaChain is an EVM-compatible blockchain built using Cosmos SDK. This means it functions similarly to Ethereum — it's decentralized, and users can stake tokens to run consensus nodes. Developers and users from Ethereum or other EVM chains can seamlessly transition to building or using apps on ZetaChain. That’s the Layer 1 aspect.
The concept of a Bitcoin L2 is still evolving, and definitions vary. For ZetaChain, our support for Bitcoin currently has two dimensions. First, we serve as a cross-chain layer for BTC, enabling asset transfers between Ethereum and Bitcoin networks via ZetaChain. The key feature of BTC L2 functionality is allowing native BTC assets to be transferred onto ZetaChain, where they can participate in DeFi protocols. As for being a cross-chain bridge, ZetaChain currently supports Ethereum, BSC, and more EVM and Cosmos chains will be added in the future.
Jessie: Layer 1 is definitely the most accurate label. But beyond that, we're focused on solving blockchain fragmentation. Recently, we launched Universal EVM — a truly universal EVM blockchain. With Universal EVM, projects can access users and unified liquidity across multiple chains from day one. That’s the core problem we’re tackling. We aim to make our smart contracts compatible with various chains, starting with Bitcoin because it holds the largest amount of on-chain assets. We are heavily committed to advancing the BTC L2 space, and our investment strategy will continue prioritizing Bitcoin-related projects.
ZetaChain is a public blockchain, not a cross-chain bridge. It hosts users and assets, and projects can build directly on it — think of it as a city. A cross-chain bridge, by contrast, is like a highway — it doesn’t retain funds or traffic. While our purpose overlaps with bridges in helping users move across chains, ZetaChain aims to use chain abstraction to make technology invisible, delivering a seamless experience that helps Web2 users transition smoothly into Web3.
Host: Which of these identities do you think is most distinctive, and why?
Luke: I’d say our support for Bitcoin — both as a cross-chain layer and as a BTC L2 — is the most unique. It’s also receiving significant attention now, especially since this bull market is largely driven by the Bitcoin ecosystem. We use signature-based verification secured by ZetaChain’s own consensus mechanism, ensuring transparency, traceability, and decentralization during cross-chain transactions.
Jessie: Compatibility is key. ZetaChain aims to solve message synchronization and the issue of fragmented, isolated blockchains. Connecting diverse chains requires immense effort in product and technology development — a journey far from complete. Bitcoin wallets come in many forms, and we must integrate them one by one, which takes time and resources. Ultimately, we want BTC holders to interact not only with DeFi but also with a broader range of applications.
Host: The Layer 1 blockchain space is crowded, and so is the Bitcoin L2 space. How does ZetaChain plan to leapfrog the competition?
Luke: With one-click chain deployment becoming mainstream, many application-focused projects are launching their own chains — either to boost valuations or to achieve cheaper, faster transactions and better UX. This has led to an explosion of L1s and L2s, further fragmenting liquidity. Aggregating liquidity across chains remains a major challenge. ZetaChain’s solution is programmatically pooling liquidity across all connected blockchains. For example, we deploy omnichain contracts on linked chains, then synchronize them to aggregate assets.
For developers building omnichain apps, they can deploy a single omnichain smart contract on ZetaChain without worrying about underlying infrastructure. ZetaChain handles security and cross-chain operations, allowing developers to focus purely on user interaction. What used to require complex cross-chain logic now only requires product-level thinking. This enables cross-chain DeFi, social, and NFT applications with drastically reduced development complexity. For developers, ZetaChain is a scalable, programmable cross-chain protocol — one of its core advantages.
Jessie: ZetaChain is positioned as a solution for cross-chain interoperability, aiming to build a true omnichain ecosystem. Despite the crowded landscape of new chains, ZetaChain stands out due to its distinct mission. Rather than focusing solely on TVL, we prioritize user numbers and have excelled in user engagement — a key area for differentiation. On the ecosystem front, we’re running various campaigns to drive user traffic to ecosystem projects. Additionally, 5% of ZETA tokens will be allocated to support ecosystem builders.
Host: How large is the ZetaChain team? Where are they located, and what responsibilities do they hold?
Jessie: ZetaChain currently has over 100 employees, with around 30 in the core team. Most team members are based in the U.S., with others spread across Europe, Argentina, and South America. In Asia, we have two colleagues, one in Singapore handling BD. Despite being fully distributed, we maintain strong communication and collaboration. Most team members are multilingual, and we prioritize hiring polyglots. The Web3 world is global, so all our content is published in multiple languages simultaneously, ensuring people worldwide can follow our progress instantly. We have dedicated teams for security, product, protocol, BD, and investments.
Host: Cross-chain bridges have suffered repeated security incidents. What measures has ZetaChain taken to prevent such issues?
Luke: Indeed, cross-chain bridges have seen some of the largest security breaches and fund losses. Since most bridges support multiple chains, a single vulnerability can collapse the entire system. For instance, when a user initiates a cross-chain transaction on Ethereum, it might be sent to a project’s multisig address. However, some projects don’t follow best practices — their multisig wallets may actually be controlled by just two or three individuals, creating serious risks. Also, there are different verification methods for cross-chain transactions, such as light client validation or simple client checks. These can be decentralized or centralized — some even rely on manual monitoring. If transaction volume is low, this introduces a second layer of risk.
Most bridges operate as black boxes — users have no visibility into what happens after they submit a request. ZetaChain, however, has a fully transparent verification process. When a user initiates a transaction on Chain A, assets are transferred to our address. Our light nodes detect the transaction, and ZetaChain uses threshold signatures to initiate a voting process. Only once consensus is reached is the cross-chain transfer considered complete. Every step is recorded on our blockchain, fully visible and auditable. By combining threshold signatures with ZetaChain’s consensus layer, we ensure transparency and make malicious behavior extremely costly.
Host: Blockchain is still made up of isolated silos. Why hasn't full-chain interoperability been achieved yet?
Jessie: There are many heterogeneous chains today, each operating in complete isolation. Technically, broadcasting the same message synchronously across multiple disparate chains is an extremely difficult challenge to overcome.
Host: Can you share ZetaChain’s future plans and roadmap?
Jessie: We launched Universal EVM in early May — a major milestone in our product and technology journey. Next, we’ll begin integrating Bitcoin, followed by Solana compatibility by year-end. That’s our technical roadmap. Beyond that, we’ll allocate 5% of our token supply to support ecosystem development and nurture projects across multiple fronts.
Luke: We’re continuously improving the developer experience — enhancing documentation, adding more use cases, and maintaining an active developer support channel on Discord. Our tech leads are highly responsive there. We’re ramping up support and warmly welcome more developers to build with us.
Host: What is the potential of ZetaChain’s chosen赛道? What unique advantages attract you?
Rocky: Omnichain and chain abstraction are areas we’ve long focused on. Currently, there are nearly 250 Rollups and L2s, resulting in severe fragmentation. Users face constant network switching, separate gas payments, and complex cross-chain and DEX interactions — a frustrating experience. ZetaChain offers a clean, elegant solution. Second, liquidity fragmentation severely limits DeFi growth. Assets on different chains cannot flow efficiently. ZetaChain solves this by enabling direct interoperability — no need for asset transfers — unlocking use cases like omnichain lending. For developers, cross-chain compatibility usually demands high development costs, but ZetaChain significantly lowers that barrier. Its strengths in chain abstraction, non-EVM compatibility, and interoperability stand out clearly.
Mr Block: Among the many chains I've invested in, ZetaChain occupies a special position. First, the team has proven experience, having previously launched successful crypto projects. Second, they maintain strong relationships with major exchanges. Third, ZetaChain offers exceptional flexibility and compatibility. Recent trends like BTC L2, inscriptions, and runes have inspired new directions for Bitcoin integration. Right now, ZetaChain’s top priority is growing its own ecosystem, and we’re actively facilitating partnerships between ZetaChain and leading projects.
Host: How far are we from the era of full-chain interoperability? What are the biggest challenges?
Ningning: The vision of full-chain interoperability involves massive connectivity among numerous Rollups and a few core L1s. Achieving this will take time. The scalability bottleneck for Rollups lies in the data availability verification capacity of core L1s like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Although emerging solutions like Celestia, Avail, and EigenDA exist, they primarily target niche markets.
We need to wait for Ethereum’s next mainnet upgrade, Pectra, to further expand blob storage capacity on the mainnet. After the Cancun upgrade, L2 gas costs dropped significantly, but not enough. Pectra will reduce them by another two orders of magnitude. Meanwhile, we await native data availability solutions on Bitcoin, such as BitVM, to provide Rollup developers with diversified data availability options.
In short, the true era of full-chain interoperability will arrive only when building a Rollup becomes as easy and low-cost as deploying a website on a cloud platform today.
Guest Question: Why did ZetaChain choose PoS as its relay layer?
Luke: First, we're built on Cosmos, which is inherently a PoS chain — a model already rigorously tested and proven. We prioritized adopting mature, battle-tested solutions. Secondly, our lead developer was previously a key core contributor to Cosmos, giving us deep expertise in this architecture.
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