Some names never go out of fashion, and in the world of blockchain, Zilliqa remains one of them. Known as the first public blockchain to implement sharding, Zilliqa has long been a pioneer in scalable Layer 1 infrastructure.Some names never go out of fashion, and in the world of blockchain, Zilliqa remains one of them. Known as the first public blockchain to implement sharding, Zilliqa has long been a pioneer in scalable Layer 1 infrastructure.

Real Value is in Infrastructure, says Zilliqa’s CEO on Refocusing to Build the Base Layer and Empower Innovation

2025/09/16 00:11
4 min read

Some names never go out of fashion, and in the world of blockchain, Zilliqa remains one of them. Known as the first public blockchain to implement sharding, Zilliqa has long been a pioneer in scalable Layer 1 infrastructure. With the rollout of Zilliqa 2.0 and an upgraded mainnet, the platform is on its mission to bridge institutional finance and DeFi. With over $50 million in digital assets under treasury management and a focus on developer accessibility, regulatory compliance, and enterprise-grade performance, Zilliqa is evolving into a blockchain built for speed and real-world adoption. 

Today, we sat down with Alexander Zahnd, Interim CEO and CFO of Zilliqa, to discuss the platform’s transformation and vision and what’s next in the race for scalable, interoperable blockchain infrastructure.

Embracing the Ethereum Ecosystem

The story of Zilliqa in 2025 is one of reinvention. In June, the network launched a new mainnet featuring full Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility and a decentralized Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, shifting from its original architecture.

This upgrade was more than a technical milestone. By embracing EVM, Zilliqa opened the doors to Ethereum’s developer community and ecosystem tools, eliminating previous entry barriers linked to its native smart contract language, Scilla. PoS consensus replaced the more resource-intensive Proof of Work, increasing the network decentralization and offering better incentives for validators. Most noticeably, Zilliqa cut block times to roughly one second, making it one of the fastest chains in the market today.

Zilliqa now focuses on building ecosystem maturity by rolling out key decentralized finance infrastructure like bridges, decentralized exchanges, NFT marketplaces, and money market protocols. These tools will enrich the user experience and solidify Zilliqa’s position as a platform for both developers and institutions.

Bringing Institutional Trust to Web3

Zilliqa’s enterprise vision spotlights its partnership with the Liechtenstein Legal Entity Identifier Network (LTIN). This partnership aims to address the gap between legacy financial systems and Web3 by bringing a strong compliance standard on-chain.

Zilliqa’s history includes forays into gaming, creator economies, and the metaverse. These experiments showcased the ecosystem’s adaptability and addressed the challenges of allocating resources across different verticals.

Currently, Zilliqa has recalibrated its focus back to its core competency: providing robust, scalable blockchain infrastructure and enabling developers and enterprises to build on top of it. This meant shifting focus from consumer-facing products, to streamlining efforts to create a sustainable ecosystem. This focus aligns with Zilliqa’s goal of competing with larger ecosystems through performance and enterprise-grade tools that meet the demanding requirements of regulated markets. The new mainnet and institutional initiatives like LTIN underscore this commitment to infrastructure excellence and ecosystem empowerment.

Staying Competitive in a Multi-Chain World

Zilliqa gained early traction as one of the first blockchains to implement sharding, a solution designed to increase scalability by dividing the network into parallel shards that process transactions simultaneously. While sharding still remains a technical advantage, its early adoption lagged due to ecosystem barriers, including the complexity of Zilliqa’s original smart contract language, Scilla. Meanwhile, Layer 2 solutions on Ethereum and Ethereum’s scaling upgrades have narrowed the gap.

Zilliqa 2.0 marks a strategic pivot. While scalability remains essential, the focus is now on accessibility and speed. Full EVM compatibility opens the network to the largest developer community in crypto, eliminating the isolation that Scilla created. Fast block times and PoS consensus further strengthen its appeal.

This combination of speed, ease of integration, and decentralization is Zilliqa’s current edge in a multi-chain landscape.

UK & Asia remain a focus for Global Growth.

Zilliqa’s strongest user base remains in Southeast Asia. However, the company views the UK as a key strategic market, particularly given the region’s evolving regulatory framework and appetite for blockchain innovation.

Projects like The Winners Circle, which connects traditional fan engagement with Web3 experiences, reiterating Zilliqa’s approach in the UK, which involves verifiably and transparently bridging physical loyalty programs with digital tokens.

By maintaining a strong network in Asia while cultivating strategic partnerships and projects in markets like the UK, Zilliqa is positioning itself as a truly global player, able to navigate regulatory requirements and deliver compliant, scalable blockchain solutions worldwide.

As digital assets and decentralized applications grow in complexity and regulatory scrutiny, Zilliqa’s approach of combining fast, scalable infrastructure with real-world compliance and enterprise partnerships positions it to remain competitive.

Zilliqa’s current progress shows how blockchain can bridge traditional finance and Web3, unlocking new possibilities for institutions and developers alike in an industry often criticized for hype and fragmentation.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Market Opportunity
RealLink Logo
RealLink Price(REAL)
$0.0531
$0.0531$0.0531
+0.26%
USD
RealLink (REAL) Live Price Chart
Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact service@support.mexc.com for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

Polygon Tops RWA Rankings With $1.1B in Tokenized Assets

Polygon Tops RWA Rankings With $1.1B in Tokenized Assets

The post Polygon Tops RWA Rankings With $1.1B in Tokenized Assets appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Key Notes A new report from Dune and RWA.xyz highlights Polygon’s role in the growing RWA sector. Polygon PoS currently holds $1.13 billion in RWA Total Value Locked (TVL) across 269 assets. The network holds a 62% market share of tokenized global bonds, driven by European money market funds. The Polygon POL $0.25 24h volatility: 1.4% Market cap: $2.64 B Vol. 24h: $106.17 M network is securing a significant position in the rapidly growing tokenization space, now holding over $1.13 billion in total value locked (TVL) from Real World Assets (RWAs). This development comes as the network continues to evolve, recently deploying its major “Rio” upgrade on the Amoy testnet to enhance future scaling capabilities. This information comes from a new joint report on the state of the RWA market published on Sept. 17 by blockchain analytics firm Dune and data platform RWA.xyz. The focus on RWAs is intensifying across the industry, coinciding with events like the ongoing Real-World Asset Summit in New York. Sandeep Nailwal, CEO of the Polygon Foundation, highlighted the findings via a post on X, noting that the TVL is spread across 269 assets and 2,900 holders on the Polygon PoS chain. The Dune and https://t.co/W6WSFlHoQF report on RWA is out and it shows that RWA is happening on Polygon. Here are a few highlights: – Leading in Global Bonds: Polygon holds 62% share of tokenized global bonds (driven by Spiko’s euro MMF and Cashlink euro issues) – Spiko U.S.… — Sandeep | CEO, Polygon Foundation (※,※) (@sandeepnailwal) September 17, 2025 Key Trends From the 2025 RWA Report The joint publication, titled “RWA REPORT 2025,” offers a comprehensive look into the tokenized asset landscape, which it states has grown 224% since the start of 2024. The report identifies several key trends driving this expansion. According to…
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2025/09/18 00:40
XRP Sees Panic Selling as Glassnode Data Shows Significant Holder Losses

XRP Sees Panic Selling as Glassnode Data Shows Significant Holder Losses

XRP’s on-chain data shows mounting stress as profitability collapses, losses deepen, and selling pressure accelerates, signaling a critical behavioral shift among
Share
Coinstats2026/02/10 09:30
Polygon co-founder Jordi Baylina revives zkEVM tech under new venture, Zisk

Polygon co-founder Jordi Baylina revives zkEVM tech under new venture, Zisk

Jordi Baylina’s new venture, Zisk, will carry the zkVM torch forward following the Polygon Foundation’s decision to decommission the costly chain. Baylina retains a founder’s title, but his team and codebase are now fully independent. On June 18, Polygon co-founder…
Share
Crypto.news2025/06/19 02:10