The post LayerZero Launches Zero Layer 1 With Backing From Wall Street Giants appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Blockchain LayerZero Labs has officially entered the Layer 1 race with the announcement of Zero, a new blockchain network aimed directly at institutional finance. Key Takeaways LayerZero Labs unveiled Zero, a new Layer 1 blockchain built for institutional financial markets. Major players including Citadel Securities, ARK Invest, ICE, Google Cloud, and DTCC are backing or collaborating on the project. The network targets up to 2 million TPS per zone, with mainnet planned for Fall 2026. ZRO jumped about 13% after the announcement, though concerns remain over token allocation and execution risk. The launch was confirmed on February 10, 2026, marking a strategic pivot from interoperability infrastructure toward building a full-scale execution layer designed for global capital markets. Unlike general-purpose chains targeting retail users and DeFi traders, Zero is being positioned as what the company calls a decentralized multicore world computer. The objective is clear: address scalability bottlenecks and privacy limitations that continue to prevent traditional financial institutions from fully migrating to blockchain-based systems. Institutional Heavyweights Join the Initiative Zero’s unveiling comes with backing from some of the most influential names in finance and technology. Citadel Securities has taken a strategic position in the ZRO token and is working alongside the project on trading infrastructure, including clearing and settlement mechanics. This signals a strong focus on real-world market structure rather than purely experimental crypto use cases. ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, is investing in both LayerZero equity and the ZRO token. Wood has also joined the advisory board, suggesting long-term strategic involvement. Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the NYSE, is exploring how Zero could facilitate continuous 24/7 trading – a major structural shift from traditional market hours. On the technology side, Google Cloud is collaborating to test AI-driven micropayments and automated resource trading systems that could operate without traditional…

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Filed under: News - @ February 11, 2026 5:26 pm