ZetaChain (ZETA) is a Layer-1 blockchain built on the Cosmos SDK with Tendermint consensus and an EVM-compatible execution layer, designed to let smart contracts interact across separate blockchains. ZETA is the chain's native gas and staking asset. Its ERC-20 token launched in August 2021, before ZetaChain's own mainnet went live, so ZETA also circulates as a bridged ERC-20 on Ethereum and a BEP-20 on BNB Smart Chain, official representations of the same asset. ZetaChain Mainnet Beta launched on January 11, 2024.
ZetaChain positions itself around cross-chain interoperability, connecting smart contracts to external networks including Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Bitcoin, and Solana. In its first week after mainnet launch, the network recorded more than 900,000 users and 8 million transactions. Chain TVL growth has recently ranked in the 89.9th percentile among peer tokens on trend-based scoring, a directional indicator of on-chain adoption relative to comparable interoperability-focused Layer-1 projects.
ZETA is ZetaChain's native gas and staking token, used to pay transaction fees and secure the network through staking. As a bridged ERC-20 asset on Ethereum and BEP-20 asset on BNB Smart Chain, ZETA also pays gas for interactions with ZetaChain's cross-chain messaging from those networks.
ZETA has a maximum supply of 2,100,000,000 tokens, with 1,607,083,333 ZETA in circulation as of 2026-09-03.
Net emission is currently inflationary, with supply growth ranking in the 91.5th percentile among lowcap peers, driven by ongoing validator and liquidity-incentive emissions.
Meta Protocol, Inc., ZetaChain's issuing company, raised $27 million in a 2023 equity funding round. Investors included Blockchain.com, Jane Street Capital, Foundation Capital, VY Capital, Sky9 Capital, CMT Digital, GSR, Lingfeng Capital, Human Capital, VistaLabs, Kudasai, and Krust. ZETA's ERC-20 token launched in August 2021, well before ZetaChain's own Mainnet Beta went live on January 11, 2024, with the Token Generation Event concluding around February 1, 2024. A KYC-gated community airdrop rewarded users who accumulated at least 50,000 "ZetaPoints," with individual rewards ranging from 50 to 20,000 ZETA.
ZetaChain is a sovereign Layer-1 blockchain built with the Cosmos SDK, using Tendermint Byzantine Fault Tolerant Proof-of-Stake consensus, with an EVM-compatible execution layer for smart contracts. Network security and block production are performed by staked "Basic Validators," which must run continuously online consensus keys. Because ZETA's token predates ZetaChain's own mainnet, it also exists as a bridged ERC-20 on Ethereum and a BEP-20 on BNB Smart Chain — official bridge representations rather than independent deployments with their own consensus.
ZetaChain was co-founded by Brandon Truong (CEO), who studied symbolic systems at Stanford University, and Ankur Nandwani. The company operates out of San Francisco, California.
ZetaChain is developed and maintained by Meta Protocol, Inc., a Delaware-incorporated company registered on 2021-07-30, with an operating head office at 415 Mission St, San Francisco, California. Its stated business activity is software development and ecosystem support for ZetaChain. The company has published a MiCAR (EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) white paper, version 1.1, dated September 2025, to support the token's distribution within the European Union.
ZetaChain's governance operates through validator staking under its Cosmos SDK Proof-of-Stake mechanism. ZETA holders delegate tokens to "Basic Validators," letting the community help secure the network while earning staking incentives. A Validator Delegation Program allocated 10,000,000 ZETA specifically to decentralize stake across validator operators, geographies, and data centers rather than concentrating it among a few large validators.
Trail of Bits delivered a Solana Gateway audit on 2025-01-28, extending ZetaChain's cross-chain infrastructure to Solana. The company also published a MiCAR white paper (version 1.1, September 2025) to support EU token distribution. In March 2026, ZetaChain unveiled "ZetaChain 2.0," described as a universal layer integrating AI capabilities with Web3 infrastructure, alongside the launch of ANUMA, a privacy-focused AI chat service.
ZetaChain has undergone multiple third-party audits, including reviews by CertiK, Halborn, and Trail of Bits. CertiK audited its ERC-20 token in September 2021. Halborn conducted a smart contract audit and a separate ZetaNode Cosmos security assessment, both in March 2023. Trail of Bits performed a security assessment in October 2024, a Bitcoin Inscription audit in October 2024, and a Solana Gateway audit in January 2025. On its tracked Ethereum contract, the top 10 holders control 97% of supply, and DEX liquidity relative to market cap ranks in only the 3.9th percentile against peer tokens.