LayerZero Launches Zero L1 for Institutional Markets, ZRO Jumps Over 20%

LayerZero launched its self-developed Zero Layer 1 in New York on February 10 to support institutional-grade trading and settlement, with ZRO climbing over 20% that day to around $2.30. The company describes Zero as a "decentralized multicore world computer" and introduced three Zones: a general-purpose EVM-compatible environment, a private payment system, and a dedicated trading-matching environment, with the chain claiming 2 million TPS in tests. Citadel Securities made a strategic investment in ZRO through a direct token purchase, a move CoinDesk noted is not routine for traditional Wall Street firms; ARK Invest bought LayerZero equity and tokens as Cathie Wood joined the advisory board, and Tether announced a strategic investment in LayerZero Labs with the amount undisclosed, while DTCC, ICE and Google Cloud signed a joint exploration agreement. ZRO's total supply is 1 billion with about 200 million circulating and roughly 80% remaining locked; around 25.71 million ZRO will unlock on February 20, valued at about $50 million and equal to 2.6% of supply, allocated to core contributors and strategic partners with the schedule running until 2027, CoinGecko data show, and a new fee vote is slated for June after a December proposal failed.