Nethermind has moved its cross-chain operations from LayerZero to Chainlink after completing an extensive infrastructure review. The blockchain engineering company will operate Chainlink nodes supporting CCIP and its widely used Data Feeds, the oracle service that delivers market data to smart contract applications. The move strengthens Chainlink's infrastructure network as financial institutions expand their use of public blockchain systems.

Nethermind Shifts Cross-Chain Infrastructure to Chainlink

Nethermind will serve as a Chainlink node operator and strategic technology provider under the new arrangement. The company will provide infrastructure services, engineering tools, and integration support for teams building blockchain applications. Meanwhile, its cross-chain operations will focus on Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, known as CCIP.

CCIP supports token transfers and messaging between separate blockchain networks through Chainlink's decentralized infrastructure. Chainlink also uses independent node operators and risk controls to monitor cross-chain transactions across supported networks. Nethermind will apply its existing blockchain engineering experience to infrastructure supporting those services.

The company previously operated decentralized verifier infrastructure within LayerZero's cross-chain messaging system. LayerZero allows applications to select decentralized verifier networks that confirm messages moving between different blockchains, which means each application's cross-chain security depends on the verifier configuration it chooses. However, Nethermind has now ended that verifier role and shifted its cross-chain infrastructure operations toward Chainlink.

LayerZero Security Debate Adds Industry Context

The migration follows several major cross-chain infrastructure changes involving LayerZero and Chainlink during 2026. In April, attackers exploited Kelp DAO's LayerZero-powered bridge and drained about $290 million in rsETH. The incident involved a forged cross-chain message and a configuration relying on a single verifier.

Kelp DAO later moved rsETH cross-chain infrastructure to Chainlink while disputing LayerZero's description of its security configuration. LayerZero rejected those claims and said the project had changed from multiple verifiers to one verifier. LayerZero subsequently introduced stronger requirements for applications using its decentralized verifier network model.

Nethermind has not linked its decision directly to the Kelp DAO incident or another LayerZero security event. Its announcement described the migration as the result of an extensive review and long-term infrastructure planning. The company also did not publish the technical criteria used to compare Chainlink and LayerZero during that review.

Chainlink Gains More Cross-Chain Infrastructure Support

Other major organizations have also moved cross-chain operations toward Chainlink in recent months. BitGo selected CCIP as the exclusive cross-chain infrastructure for Wrapped Bitcoin after previously using LayerZero. Aave also expanded its CCIP integration for deposits, withdrawals, vault rebalancing, and other cross-chain asset movements.

Wyoming's Stable Token Commission completed another LayerZero-to-Chainlink migration on August 18 after conducting a state security review. The commission selected CCIP as the exclusive cross-chain provider for its Frontier Stable Token. However, Wyoming did not publish the complete technical findings from its infrastructure assessment. Because neither Nethermind nor Wyoming has disclosed the full technical basis for its review, the specific criteria driving these LayerZero-to-Chainlink migrations remain outside public view.

Nethermind brings significant Ethereum infrastructure experience into Chainlink's expanding network of independent node operators. Founded in 2017, the company develops an Ethereum execution client and provides security, research, and institutional blockchain services. Its new role extends that work into oracle infrastructure and cross-chain systems supporting institutional blockchain adoption. Taken together, the 2026 migrations show institutions and major protocols treating cross-chain provider selection as a security decision subject to formal review rather than a routine technical choice.

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