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What Is Zilliqa?

Zilliqa (ZIL) is a blockchain platform that was the first to implement sharding as a scaling solution on a public mainnet. The project originated from academic research at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where computer scientist Prateek Saxena and his team published a 2015 paper proposing sharding as a way to scale blockchain throughput. Amrit Kumar served as president and head of research, and the team included PhDs from institutions including Princeton, Berkeley, and Inria. Zilliqa Research, the academic institution behind the protocol, conducted years of development before the project raised $22 million in a token sale and launched its mainnet in 2019. The core insight was straightforward: by dividing the network into smaller groups of nodes called shards that process transactions in parallel, throughput can increase linearly as more nodes join the network. In testing, Zilliqa achieved 2,488 transactions per second on its testnet -- roughly 250 times the throughput of Ethereum at the time.

In its original design, Zilliqa used a hybrid consensus mechanism that combined Proof of Work with practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (pBFT). PoW was not used to validate every block; instead it served as a Sybil resistance mechanism, with miners performing PoW periodically to establish their identity and receive assignment to a shard. A Directory Service (DS) committee coordinated shard membership and managed cross-shard transactions, while nodes within each shard reached consensus using pBFT. With the launch of Zilliqa 2.0 in June 2025, the network replaced this model with a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism supporting stake delegation, in which validators and delegators stake ZIL to secure the network. Zilliqa 2.0 also added full Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility alongside the original Scilla execution layer, allowing Ethereum tooling and dApps to run on the network.

The platform features its own smart contract language called Scilla (Smart Contract Intermediate-Level Language), designed from the ground up with formal verification in mind. Scilla separates computation from communication in contracts, making it possible to mathematically prove certain safety properties -- such as the absence of reentrancy vulnerabilities like the one that caused the 2016 DAO hack on Ethereum -- before a contract is deployed. This focus on provable security addresses one of the most costly sources of losses in the cryptocurrency space.

In June 2025, Zilliqa launched Zilliqa 2.0, the most significant upgrade in the platform's history. It replaced the original PoW and pBFT hybrid with a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism supporting stake delegation, introduced full Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, and improved cross-chain interoperability. EVM compatibility allows Ethereum dApps and developer tools like MetaMask and Hardhat to work on Zilliqa with minimal modifications, while the original Scilla smart contract language remains supported through a dual execution layer. The project has also expanded into gaming and metaverse applications through Metapolis, a metaverse-as-a-service platform, and established Zilliqa Capital as a venture arm to fund ecosystem development. DeFi activity on the network includes ZilSwap, a native decentralized exchange, and Pillar Protocol for stablecoin lending.

Getting Started With Zilliqa

  1. Step 1: Learn About Zilliqa. Visit zilliqa.com to understand the platform's sharding technology, smart contract capabilities, and the Zilliqa 2.0 architecture.
  2. Step 2: Set Up a Wallet. Download the ZilPay browser extension or use the Torch Wallet mobile app to create a Zilliqa address. These wallets allow you to hold ZIL, interact with dApps, and stake your tokens.
  3. Step 3: Acquire ZIL. Purchase ZIL on a supported exchange and transfer to your wallet. ZIL is needed for transaction fees, staking, and interacting with smart contracts on the Zilliqa network.
  4. Step 4: Stake and Participate. Stake your ZIL tokens through the staking portal to earn rewards while contributing to network security. Explore the Zilliqa ecosystem including DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and metaverse projects.

How to Get a Zilliqa Wallet?

ZilPay

ZilPay is a browser extension wallet for Zilliqa, similar to MetaMask for Ethereum. It supports ZIL and all ZRC-2 tokens, and allows you to interact with Zilliqa dApps directly from your browser.

Torch Wallet

Torch Wallet is a mobile wallet for the Zilliqa ecosystem, available on iOS and Android. It provides a user-friendly interface for managing ZIL, staking, and accessing Zilliqa-based applications.

Ledger Hardware Wallet

ZIL is supported on Ledger hardware wallets through the Zilliqa Ledger app. You can connect your Ledger to ZilPay for secure dApp interaction while keeping your private keys offline.

Zilliqa Resources

How to Buy Zilliqa?

ZIL can be purchased on major centralized exchanges including Binance, Coinbase, and Crypto.com. Create an account, complete identity verification, deposit funds, and trade for ZIL using available trading pairs. Once purchased, withdraw your ZIL to a personal wallet like ZilPay for security and to participate in staking and the Zilliqa DeFi ecosystem.

For decentralized options, ZIL can be traded on ZilSwap, the primary Zilliqa-native DEX that supports ZRC-2 token swaps. Wrapped versions of ZIL are also available on Ethereum DEXs like Uniswap for users who prefer cross-chain access. Staking ZIL through the official staking portal is another way to accumulate tokens while contributing to network security.

Latest Zilliqa News

Zilliqa 2.0 went live on mainnet in June 2025, marking the most significant upgrade in the platform's history. The upgrade replaced the original PoW and pBFT consensus with Proof of Stake supporting stake delegation and added full EVM compatibility, allowing the vast Ethereum developer ecosystem and its tooling to work on Zilliqa with minimal friction, while retaining the Scilla smart contract language through a dual execution layer. Following the launch, the network introduced new staking options and revised validator economics. Zilliqa Capital continues to invest in ecosystem growth, funding projects that build on the network.