ZetaChain

ZetaChain (ZETA) is a proof-of-stake layer 1 blockchain whose universal smart contracts can read and act on multiple connected chains, including Bitcoin, without wrapped tokens. In 2026 the project shifted its focus to building a private memory layer for AI applications. ZETA is the network's gas, staking, and cross-chain value token.

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What Is ZetaChain?

ZetaChain (ticker ZETA) is a layer 1 blockchain built around the idea of "universal" smart contracts: contracts deployed once on ZetaChain that can read state and trigger actions on many other connected blockchains. Instead of bridging assets between chains with wrapped tokens, an app on ZetaChain can orchestrate value and data across Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, and other networks directly, which is why the project describes itself as an omnichain, or universal, blockchain.

Overview - Table of Contents
What Is ZetaChain?
Getting Started With ZetaChain
How To Get A ZetaChain Wallet?
ZetaChain Resources
How To Buy ZetaChain?
Latest ZetaChain News

ZetaChain was started in 2021 by a team that kept a deliberately low profile in its early days. Its best-known co-founder is Ankur Nandwani, a former Coinbase and Brave engineer who co-created the Basic Attention Token, and early contributors included Panruo Wu, an early THORChain contributor, along with engineers from projects such as 0x, Cosmos, and ConsenSys. The project raised 27 million dollars from investors including Blockchain.com, Human Capital, Vy Capital, Sky9 Capital, Jane Street Capital, CMT Digital, Foundation Capital, and GSR. Its mainnet beta went live on February 1, 2024, connecting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB Chain at launch.

Technically, ZetaChain is a proof-of-stake blockchain built with the Cosmos SDK that runs a full Ethereum Virtual Machine, sometimes called the Universal EVM. Validators observe the chains ZetaChain connects to and collectively sign outbound transactions using threshold cryptography, so no single party controls cross-chain funds. Assets from connected chains are represented on ZetaChain as ZRC-20 tokens, a standard that lets a single contract accept deposits from, and send withdrawals to, external chains natively. The standout feature is Bitcoin support: because ZetaChain's validators can watch the Bitcoin network and sign ordinary Bitcoin transactions, apps can accept and send native BTC without wrapping it or asking users to leave the Bitcoin network.

ZETA is the network's native token. It pays gas fees on ZetaChain, is staked with validators to secure the proof-of-stake network, and is used as the internal asset for moving value between connected chains and for governance. ZETA launched with an initial supply of 2.1 billion tokens, with allocations to the protocol treasury, core contributors, purchasers and advisors, an ecosystem growth fund, a user growth pool, and validator incentives. About 10 percent of the supply funds block rewards over roughly the first four years, after which the protocol plans to target around 2.5 percent annual inflation to keep paying validators.

Through 2024 and 2025 the project rolled out a series of upgrades under the ZetaChain 2.0 banner focused on universal apps: applications on the Universal EVM that users on any connected chain can interact with directly, without switching networks. Connectivity expanded beyond the launch chains to networks such as Polygon, Base, and Solana, the Lightning upgrade cut block times from six seconds to four, with a target of about two, and the UNISON upgrade improved Ethereum compatibility and cross-chain programmability.

In 2026 ZetaChain made a major strategic shift. Building on its interoperability infrastructure, which the team says has served around 12 million users and processed more than 240 million transactions, the project repositioned itself as "the private memory layer for AI." Its ZetaChain 2.0 launch in mid-2026 introduced an AI interoperability layer for building applications and agents that work across AI models while keeping user context encrypted and user-controlled, along with Anuma, a consumer AI app whose memory of a user persists across models such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The underlying Cosmos-based proof-of-stake network and the ZETA token continue to power the system.

Getting Started With ZetaChain

Getting started with ZetaChain usually means holding ZETA in a compatible wallet and exploring the apps built on the network:

Step 1: Set up a wallet. ZetaChain is EVM-compatible, so an Ethereum-style wallet such as MetaMask works once you add the ZetaChain network.
Step 2: Acquire ZETA on an exchange and withdraw it to your wallet, paying attention to which network you withdraw on; ZETA exists natively on ZetaChain and as tokens on Ethereum and BNB Chain.
Step 3: Stake (delegate) your ZETA to a validator to help secure the network and earn staking rewards.
Step 4: Explore the ecosystem, from omnichain apps that work with native Bitcoin to the project's newer AI products such as Anuma.

How to Get a ZetaChain Wallet?

Because ZetaChain runs a full EVM, most Ethereum-compatible wallets can hold ZETA once the ZetaChain network is added.

MetaMask

MetaMask is the most widely used EVM wallet, available as a browser extension and mobile app. Add the ZetaChain network manually or through the official docs, and you can hold ZETA, interact with apps, and manage ZRC-20 tokens.

Trust Wallet

Trust Wallet is a popular mobile wallet that supports the ZetaChain network alongside many other chains, making it a simple option for holding ZETA on the go.

Hardware Wallets

A hardware wallet such as a Ledger can be paired with MetaMask to keep your private keys offline, which is recommended for larger holdings and long-term staking.

ZetaChain Resources

How to Buy ZetaChain?

ZETA is available on both centralized and decentralized exchanges.

Centralized Exchanges

ZETA is listed on major exchanges including Coinbase, Bybit, KuCoin, Gate, and HTX, typically traded against USD or USDT. Check which network an exchange uses for deposits and withdrawals before transferring.

Decentralized Exchanges

ZETA also exists as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and a BEP-20 token on BNB Chain, so it can be swapped on DEXes such as Uniswap and PancakeSwap, as well as on apps within the ZetaChain ecosystem itself.

Latest ZetaChain News

The biggest recent development is ZetaChain's pivot toward AI. In 2026 the project declared itself the private memory layer for AI, launched the Anuma app, which reached tens of thousands of users within months of its public release, and introduced ZETA Access, which lets users lock ZETA to unlock private access to AI models and agents. The team has framed this as an evolution of its interoperability mission, applying the same idea of working across many systems to AI models and agents rather than only blockchains.

The original omnichain network remains live, with universal apps, native Bitcoin support, and proof-of-stake staking continuing to operate on the Cosmos-based chain. Because the project's direction, connected chains, and tokenomics parameters are evolving quickly, the official website, documentation, and ZetaScan explorer are the best sources for the current state of the network.