LayerZero (ZRO) Price: Jumps 22% on Zero Blockchain Launch and Institutional Support

TLDR

• LayerZero Labs announced the launch of Zero, a new layer-1 blockchain scheduled for fall 2026 with backing from Citadel Securities and ARK Invest
• Zero aims to process up to 2 million transactions per second using zero-knowledge proofs and Jolt virtual machine technology
• Citadel Securities and ARK Invest made strategic investments in ZRO token, with ARK CEO Cathie Wood joining Zero’s advisory board
• Major institutions including DTCC, Intercontinental Exchange, and Google Cloud are exploring Zero for various financial applications
• ZRO price surged 22.36% in 24 hours to around $2.35, with trading volume jumping 328% to approximately $500 million

LayerZero price jumped 22.36% over the past 24 hours following major announcements about institutional investments and a new blockchain platform. The ZRO token traded near $2.35 after moving within an intraday range of $1.64 to $2.45.

Trading volume expanded sharply during the rally. Daily volume increased 328% to reach approximately $500 million as buyers responded to multiple catalysts.

LayerZero Labs unveiled Zero on Tuesday, a new layer-1 blockchain targeted at institutional financial markets. The network is scheduled to launch in fall 2026 according to the company’s announcement.

Zero will use zero-knowledge proofs and the Jolt virtual machine to achieve scalability. LayerZero Labs claims the technology can handle up to 2 million transactions per second by avoiding the replication requirements that limit other blockchains to fewer than 10,000 transactions per second.

The blockchain will launch with three permissionless environments called zones. These zones will be governed by the underlying network and use ZRO as the native token and governance asset.

Strategic Investments Drive Market Response

Citadel Securities made a strategic investment in ZRO token alongside the Zero announcement. Market maker Citadel Securities rarely makes direct token purchases, which added weight to the market’s reaction.

ARK Invest became a shareholder in both LayerZero equity and ZRO token. ARK CEO Cathie Wood joined Zero’s newly formed advisory board along with Michael Blaugrund from Intercontinental Exchange and Caroline Butler, former head of digital assets at BNY Mellon.

Tether Investments, the investment arm of stablecoin issuer Tether, also disclosed a strategic investment in LayerZero Labs on Tuesday. The size of these investments was not disclosed by the companies.

Bryan Pellegrino, CEO of LayerZero Labs, said Zero’s architecture moves the industry’s roadmap forward by at least a decade. The company believes the technology can bring the entire global economy on-chain.

Institutional Interest and Technical Performance

Several major institutions announced plans to explore Zero’s technology. Google Cloud is partnering with LayerZero Labs to examine how AI agents could enable micropayments and trading without bank accounts.

Intercontinental Exchange is looking at Zero for trading and clearing infrastructure to support 24/7 markets and tokenized collateral integration. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation plans to explore using Zero to enhance scalability of its tokenization service and collateral app chain.

The Global Token Exchange announced plans to build the treasury layer of its decentralized Turbo system using Zero. Citadel Securities is working with LayerZero to evaluate how Zero’s architecture could support high-throughput workflows across trading and post-trade processes.

LayerZero price rebounded from the $1.64 low and moved toward the upper end of the daily range. Market cap rose to about $694 million during the rally. The volume-to-market-cap ratio reached 71%, indicating active turnover.

ZRO token remains below its all-time high of $7.53 from December 2024. The token traded around $2.35 as of Tuesday evening.

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