LayerZero’s native token ZRO trades at $2.27 as of writing, climbing 24% in the past 24 hours and 56% over the past 30 days. The rally lifts its market capitalization to about $1.116 billion and positions the token among the strongest performers in the cross-chain sector this week.
The surge followed a wave of institutional announcements tied to LayerZero Labs and its newly unveiled blockchain, Zero. Investors responded quickly as major financial names confirmed direct involvement. While the broader crypto market showed mixed momentum, ZRO outperformed several large-cap peers and drew fresh attention from both retail and institutional traders.
Zero Blockchain Targets Wall Street
LayerZero launched Zero in New York on February 10. The company designed this in-house Layer 1 blockchain to support institutional-grade trading, clearing, and settlement workflows. The project describes Zero as a heterogeneous blockchain that uses zero-knowledge proofs and a split validator model.
The architecture targets up to 2 million transactions per second per zone while aiming for transaction costs near $0.000001. LayerZero claims that breakthroughs in compute, storage, networking, and zk technology unlock virtually unlimited block space. The firm positions Zero as infrastructure tailored for global financial markets rather than retail experimentation.
DTCC, Intercontinental Exchange, Google Cloud, and Citadel Securities have entered joint exploration agreements tied to the initiative. This alignment places LayerZero alongside entities that process significant portions of U.S. equity settlement and exchange activity.
Strategic Investments Drive Momentum
Citadel Securities made a strategic investment in ZRO, marking a rare direct crypto token purchase from a traditional Wall Street market maker. ARK Invest acquired both equity stakes and tokens, and Cathie Wood joined the advisory board.
At the same time, Tether Investments disclosed a strategic investment in LayerZero Labs. Tether connected this move to its Wallet Development Kit and broader cross-chain ambitions. The company already deployed LayerZero technology to power USDT0, an omnichain version of USDT that has processed $70 billion in cross-chain transfers since early 2025.
These endorsements have strengthened LayerZero’s narrative as a bridge between traditional finance and decentralized infrastructure.
Market Reaction And On-Chain Signals
Futures data reflects growing speculative activity. CoinGlass reports that ZRO futures open interest has climbed to $105.56 million, its highest level since December 2024. Rising leverage often amplifies price swings, so traders are watching positioning closely.
Source: Coinglass
However, on-chain usage presents a more complex picture. Daily transactions and active users have declined to 5.75 million transactions and about 307,685 active addresses. This drop aligns with broader ecosystem slowdowns across several blockchain networks.
Investors are also preparing for a token unlock scheduled for February 20. The event will release 25.70 million ZRO tokens, increasing circulating supply by nearly 6%. Past unlocks have seen price recoveries within a week, yet market participants continue to assess potential short-term pressure.
What Analysts Watch Next
Technically, ZRO is at short-term strength. Can the token hold support near the $2.00 level and extend gains beyond recent highs?
At the same time, market participants are tracking further updates around Zero’s roadmap ahead of its planned fall 2026 rollout. Institutional collaboration remains a key variable.
Will this momentum translate into sustained adoption? That question now shapes the next chapter for LayerZero as it positions itself at the intersection of cross-chain infrastructure and traditional finance.
Source: https://coinpaper.com/14489/layer-zero-price-surges-over-24-after-citadel-tether-and-ark-back-wall-street-blockchain
