Cross-chain blockchain network ZetaChain is preparing to wind down its Layer 1 blockchain around December 9 and migrate its native ZETA token to the Solana network, after tokenholders signaled overwhelming early support for the transition.

Governance Proposal 70, which establishes the shutdown schedule and outlines the token migration process, has already crossed the required voting quorum, with almost all votes cast in favor. The proposal identifies block height 20,755,000 as the network's final block. Once that height is reached, transaction processing on the chain will permanently stop.

Voting is scheduled to conclude on November 7 at 11:12 a.m. Eastern Time. Approval requires participation from at least 40% of bonded tokens and support from more than 50% of participating votes.

As of Thursday at 4:48 p.m. Eastern Time, approximately 256.1 million ZETA had been cast in favor of the proposal, compared with roughly 420 ZETA against. With about 379.9 million ZETA bonded at the time, voter participation had reached around 67.4%, comfortably above the quorum requirement. Tokenholders can continue voting, including against the proposal, until the voting period closes.

One-to-One Migration to a Solana SPL Token

Under the proposed transition, ZETA will retain its existing ticker and convert at a one-to-one ratio into a Solana-based SPL token — the native token standard on that network — eliminating the need for an external bridge during the migration.

The migration will be carried out through a ZetaHub portal scheduled to open on December 9. Claims will begin only after cybersecurity firm Hacken completes and publishes its assessment of the Solana token distribution program and the associated claim infrastructure.

Eligible wallets must have held at least 10 ZETA at the moment the snapshot is taken. To claim, tokenholders will need to connect the address that held their original ZETA and sign a message identifying the Solana wallet where they want to receive the replacement tokens. The claiming process will be free and will not require users to hold SOL for transaction fees.

Staked ZETA will also qualify for migration, without requiring holders to withdraw their tokens before the shutdown. The snapshot will include delegated tokens, balances undergoing the 21-day unbonding process, and unclaimed staking rewards. Staking rewards will stop accumulating once the network reaches its designated final block.

Wrapped ZETA and tokens deposited in liquid-staking pools require additional attention. Because these balances are held in smart contracts rather than in wallets directly controlled by individual users, they cannot be claimed through the standard migration portal. Holders must unwrap their tokens and exit the relevant staking pools before the snapshot, which therefore serves as the decisive cutoff for these balance types.

Cryptocurrency exchanges will manage the conversion of customer balances independently, meaning users holding ZETA on supported exchanges will not need to complete the migration manually. Individual exchanges are expected to announce their own conversion schedules.

ZetaChain's cross-chain service has already been discontinued in stages. The network stopped accepting incoming transfers in June and disabled withdrawals on July 1.

Strategic Shift Toward Private AI

The planned shutdown follows an earlier governance decision on September 20, when Proposal 68 received 99.44% support from participating voters. That proposal laid out the strategic rationale for abandoning the project's independent Layer 1 blockchain, with ZetaChain indicating that maintaining its own network was no longer necessary for its private artificial intelligence development objectives.

Operating a separate Cosmos SDK-based blockchain — a framework widely used to launch application-specific networks — also required ongoing maintenance and coordination among validators. Each upstream software update required numerous validators to implement the changes, increasing operational complexity and development overhead.

Announcing the plan on X on November 4, ZetaChain wrote:

"On Dec 9, $ZETA becomes a native Solana token and ZetaLabs launches: private AI on Solana, with ZETA as the token behind it. Governance Proposal 2 is live on ZetaHub. It sets the mechanism, the dates and the holder protections. Voting runs 72 hours. Nothing moves until it passes."

— ZetaChain (@ZetaChain), November 4, 2026 (Original post on X)

ZetaChain has since shifted its priorities toward AI applications, particularly Anuma, a private AI application that the company reported had attracted more than 300,000 registered users since February. The company is also preparing ZetaLabs, an application built using Anuma's technology. Scheduled to launch on December 9, the platform is expected to use ZETA as its native token following the migration to Solana.

The transition is intended to reduce the operational burden of maintaining an independent blockchain while allowing ZetaChain to concentrate resources on private AI products and applications.

Industry-Wide Reassessment of Independent Networks

ZetaChain's decision comes amid broader changes in blockchain infrastructure strategies. Ethereum Layer 2 network Blast announced plans to shut down in October, while DATA Network, formerly known as Story, has also outlined plans to discontinue its existing blockchain and rebuild its infrastructure on Sui.

If Proposal 70 fails, the earlier approval of Proposal 68 will remain valid, and ZetaChain has indicated that it would return with revised migration terms. The outcome will determine the final implementation schedule for the shutdown and the transition of ZETA holders to Solana. Between the November 7 voting close and the December 9 migration window, the remaining checkpoints are Hacken's published assessment and the conversion schedules individual exchanges announce for custodied balances.

Source: CoinTrust