Citadel, Ark Invest, and Tether have backed LayerZero, with Ark taking equity in LayerZero Labs and Citadel purchasing an undisclosed amount of $ZRO, the protocol’s native token. Tether also announced an undisclosed investment in LayerZero Labs. Collaborators include the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, Google Cloud and Intercontinental Exchange, which LayerZero says are helping develop its Zero blockchain.
CEO Bryan Pellegrino said the project could “actually bring the entire global economy on-chain.” LayerZero says Zero will be 500 times faster than Solana and 100,000 times faster than Ethereum, underscoring its cross-chain ambitions. The company has positioned Zero as a scalable backbone for on-chain interoperability, aiming to accelerate adoption across ecosystems.
The investment follows a prior US$120-million round at a US$3-billion valuation in 2023, underscoring ongoing investor interest in blockchain infrastructure despite market conditions. The involvement of major institutions signals a broader push to bring traditional participants into on-chain ecosystems.
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