ZetaChain: A groundbreaking full-chain interoperability platform

In the wave of the multi-chain era, numerous public chains have emerged, but along with them come issues of liquidity retreat and funding exhaustion. Some public chains rely excessively on cross-chain bridges to introduce assets, and when these bridges have security vulnerabilities, the entire ecosystem often suffers devastating blows, ringing alarm bells for the entire industry.

In this context, ZetaChain has emerged. As a forward-looking omnichain interoperability platform, ZetaChain is dedicated to addressing the fragmentation and limitations present in the current blockchain ecosystem. By seamlessly connecting assets and data across different blockchain networks, ZetaChain opens up new possibilities for the development and operation of decentralized applications (DApps).

The core team of ZetaChain brings together senior industry experts from several well-known companies in the field. These team members translate their rich experience in the Web3 domain and profound insights into market demands into the core technology and strategic direction of ZetaChain. Their shared vision is to create a blockchain that can serve as a passport to the Web3 world, thereby simplifying and accelerating the development of decentralized applications and optimizing user experience.

In the development of blockchain, interoperability has always been a core issue. ZetaChain not only provides an innovative solution technically but also innovates the standards in its implementation. Through its unique multiparty computation system and threshold signature scheme, ZetaChain achieves interoperability with traditional non-smart contract chains like Bitcoin and Dogecoin.

ZetaChain is committed to becoming a true cross-chain interoperability and asset transfer platform by providing full-chain accounts. Below is an in-depth conversation with the ZetaChain team that reveals how this project is transforming the decentralized ecosystem in the Web3 era.

Core Contributions of ZetaChain

Core contributors of ZetaChain recognized the necessity of building ZetaChain and the concept of the "only blockchain needed" after participating in multiple Web3 projects. Currently, developers of decentralized applications face complexity issues when building products for multiple chains, and this step is essential for seizing opportunities in the Web3 market. They also often need to consider how to ensure their products can adapt to the development and changes of future technologies. ZetaChain not only addresses these issues but also simplifies the user experience. These challenges stem directly from the team's previous work experience in the crypto industry.

The Interoperability Implementation of ZetaChain

ZetaChain adopts a multi-party computation system, where each signature validator holds a part of the private key. On each connected chain, there is an account derived from this private key. Using the Threshold Signature Scheme (TSS), validators can sign transactions from this TSS account. Since the TSS account is a regular external account, it does not need to execute smart contract logic on the connected chain, which allows for interoperability even with chains like Bitcoin that do not support smart contracts.

Tokens transferred to the TSS address on the connected platform will be converted into ZRC-20 wrapped tokens on ZetaChain. Withdrawing ZRC-20 from ZetaChain to the connected platform will trigger the transfer of tokens from the TSS address to the recipient.

Advantages of Omnichain Technology

Omnichain contracts allow DApp developers to create DApps that can accept inputs from any connected chain and trigger outputs to any connected chain. The advantage of Omnichain, compared to cross-chain messaging, is that it is architecturally simpler because it does not require deploying and managing a large number of contracts across different chains. Omnichain also enables interoperability on non-smart contract chains, effectively providing a way to build Omnichain smart contracts for Bitcoin users.

ZetaEVM Module

ZetaChain uses the Ethermint Cosmos SDK module, providing full EVM compatibility. In terms of single-chain performance and security, ZetaChain is comparable to other Cosmos blockchains using the same EVM module. To achieve Omnichain functionality, the ZetaChain team developed custom Cosmos SDK modules, EVM contracts, and an off-chain observer called zetaclient, which together enhance the Omnichain capabilities of regular EVM contracts.

Multi-chain Features of ZetaChain

ZetaChain does not require a third-party cross-chain bridge, as its own mechanism provides cross-chain messaging and token transfer capabilities. ZetaChain focuses on moving native non-wrapped assets across different chains, allowing users to receive native tokens on the target chain. This approach makes the entire process more secure, as once the cross-chain transaction is completed, users no longer rely on ZetaChain (or anyone else) to return assets to the original chain.

Although there are indeed ZRC-20 wrapped tokens representing assets transferred from connected chains on ZetaChain, these wrapped tokens only exist during the transaction process for operations such as cross-chain trading, and end users do not interact with them directly.

Technical Foundation

ZetaChain uses the Comet BFT consensus engine, which provides instant transaction finality, high throughput, and reliability. The Cosmos SDK offers developers a range of ready-made building blocks, such as staking modules, governance modules, and EVM-compatible layers. The modularity of the Cosmos SDK allows the ZetaChain protocol team to develop modules that implement cross-chain messaging and support for fungible token Omnichain contracts.

User and Developer Attraction Strategies

ZetaChain believes that for developers looking to build Web3 applications and services, it is very difficult to choose which chain to launch their products on, and the process of scaling to other chains is equally challenging. ZetaChain's vision of building a single chain that can access all other chains has resonated within the global developer community. ZetaChain actively builds relationships with developers by participating in various events, organizing hackathons, and releasing development documentation to assist them in building applications. ZetaChain nurtures close relationships with developers, actively seeking their feedback and suggestions. Additionally, ZetaChain has established an ecosystem incentive program to support promising developers in conducting Omnichain-related innovations on ZetaChain.

Ecological Planning

ZetaChain's initial focus was on DeFi projects, as there was a strong demand from users and developers in this field. Even though it is currently a bear market environment, the DeFi sector continues to maintain strong development momentum, so it makes sense to have robust demand for multi-chain expansion and growth. However, ZetaChain also collaborates extensively with developers and DApps across various industries, including gaming, NFTs, social finance, and payments.

Asia Community Strategy

Asia remains the core area of Web3. ZetaChain is proud of the communities established in Asia and their enthusiasm for ZetaChain. ZetaChain collaborates with local ambassadors and communities, and regularly participates in key events to ensure connection and responsiveness to the needs of developers and local communities.

Mainnet Launch and Airdrop Plan

Regarding the specific timeline for the mainnet launch, ZetaChain currently cannot provide detailed information. Interested users can follow and subscribe to its social media accounts to ensure they stay updated on the latest news and announcements.